Bizarre YouBike swap scheme backfires after student calls police

Bizarre YouBike swap scheme backfires after student calls police

2026-03-18

A bizarre bike swap scheme backfired in Taichung after a man tried to get out of paying for his YouBike rental. The incident took place last week, when a high school student left his YouBike parked outside a hot pot restaurant while he was having dinner inside. It was then that another YouBike rider surreptitiously swapped out his YouBike for the student’s, in an attempt to pay a lower rental fee. The student didn’t see the swap and unknowingly returned the perpetrator’s bike to the dock. But he realized something was up when he later received a notification telling him that he had yet to return his bike, and that his rental fee was NT$1,700. That’s when he got the police involved.

A man rolls up on a YouBike. He gets off and pushes his own YouBike next to another one parked on the side of the road. He pulls out his bag from the basket and rummages inside for a bit, before putting it back. Here’s the weird part. He doesn’t put the bag in his own YouBike’s basket, but on the one parked next to it. Even stranger, he hops on the wrong bike and rides away. What is going on?

Victim
Man rode off with YouBike
I looks intentional. He was passing by and turned back. He even adjusted the height of the seat to be the same and took off with my bike.

This student had rented a bike near Taichung’s Yizhong Market and rode to a hot pot restaurant on Yucai North Road, where he parked his bike while he was having a meal inside. He didn’t notice the switch up at all, and got on the perpetrator’s bike and returned it to the docking station thinking it was his. He realised something was wrong when he received a text warning him that the YouBike he had rented had not yet been returned. Fearing a fee of NT$15,000 for lost bikes, he went to the police.

Chen Yen-yu
Police officer
On March 17, a suspect surnamed Chan was apprehended and investigated on charges of misappropriation.

Mr. Chan had tried to get out of paying his own high rental fee with the bizarre bike swap, but didn’t realize how easily the scheme would fall through. The bikes are all registered to accounts with renters’ legal names, and so even if the bikes are switched, it can all be traced back to the original renter, who could face criminal charges.

Other renter
Knows how to use YouBikes
The mobile app keeps a record, telling you where you last rented the bike and where you returned it. In situations like this, you can contact customer services or report it to the police.

The mobile app has a record of every rental. In the case in Taichung, the student rented his bike at 5:37 p.m. on March 14. The switch-up happened at 6:22 that evening, and the perpetrator didn’t return the bike until 8:57 at night the following day, resulting in a bill of NT$1,700. But thanks to the investigation, the highschooler just had to pay his original fee of NT$10.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

YouBike停店門口! 學生收千元騎乘費控被掉包急報警

2026-03-18

台中一名高中生，在YouBike一中站，借車後，騎去一家火鍋店用餐，車輛沒鎖停在門口，竟遭人調包騎走，當事人直到收到簡訊，才赫然發現自己借的車，一直沒歸還，趕緊報警處理，幸好，監視器全都錄，警方迅速查找到嫌犯，總計1700多元的騎乘費用，受害人只需要付使用費10塊錢！

一名男子騎著YouBike，看到旁邊也有一輛腳踏車，先把自己騎的那輛車，停在旁邊，接著再拿自己的包包，假裝開包包翻找，接下來，男子把包包放到另一輛腳踏車車籃，以為神不知鬼不覺，就能把別人借的腳踏車騎走。

[[受害高中生]]
“他感覺就是故意的啊，因為他還經過，然後看到之後還折返回來，然後刻意把兩台車的椅子，調得一樣高，然後才把我的騎走。”

受害學生在台中一中站點借車，騎到育才北路一家火鍋店，車子沒上鎖，停在店外，沒想到竟遭人調包，第一時間，受害學生並未發現，用完車後，把被調包的車騎去還，直到收到簡訊通知才發現，自己借的車遲遲未歸還，就怕車子失竊要賠償一萬五千元，趕緊向警方報案。

[[第二分局育才所副所長陳衍宇]]
“3月17日晚間將涉案詹姓男子，查緝到案，並依侵占罪行移送偵辦。”

詹姓男子因為不願意支付較高的租借費用，竟異想天開，調包車輛，殊不知凡走過必留下痕跡。借車採實名制，就算調包，帳還是掛在自己名下，而且還有刑責。

[[其他借車民眾]]
“手機（APP）它會有紀錄，就是說你的車，登記說它最後歸還的地方在哪裡。遇到這種狀況，可以去做客服的動作，或是可以報警。”

借車還車，APP都有紀錄可供查詢，受害人3月14日17點37分借車，18點22分被調包，隔天20點57分，對方才還車，總計騎乘費用，超過1700元，幸好有報警查明真相，只需負擔遺失前的使用費10元。

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These adorable baby turtles slowly but surely climb out from their nest. Sea turtles usually nest in the summer, but this time the mother laid her clutch in the winter. What’s more, of the 94 eggs laid, an astounding 70 hatched.

Lai Yun-ju
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Since this turtle laid in winter, the average temperature was even lower at 25.2°C, so it’s likely that most of the hatchlings were male. This sea turtle laid eggs on Xiaoliuqiu once before in 2023. Three years later she came back, but in a different season.

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Sea turtles rarely lay eggs in the winter, making this case very valuable for research. But this could be a sign that climate change and rising global temperatures are continuing to alter the marine environment. Sea turtles could lay their eggs in either winter or summer, so look out for turtle nests and be sure not to disturb them.

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Military orchestra members write and perform original songs during off hours

Every year on National Day and New Year’s Day, the military’s Symphony Orchestra performs alongside the tri-service marching band, as their sharp uniforms and disciplined performance dazzle their audience. But did you know that there’s a band within the band? It’s called RG, which is short for "Real Good." The private group rents a practice room outside of work hours to work on their original music. Let’s give it a listen.

Jazz drums, saxophone, electric guitar—every musician does their part to flush out the melody.

The band rocking out on stage as lights flicker over the audience is RG, comprised entirely of members from the military’s symphony orchestra.

When they hear about the military orchestra, most people think about their performances during major national events such as Double Ten National Day or the New Year’s Day celebration. But you can also see them perform at the National Concert Hall or Liberty Square.

Brought together by a common aspiration, they formed a band to perform their own original music. They rent a practice room during their off time to work on their songs. But where does the name RG come from?

Voice of Sergeant Lee
RG lead singer
It stands for Real Good. Back when we chose the name, we didn’t want anything too trendy or intense. The group’s been around for 15 or 16 years already. I’m sure everyone remembers the music software from back then called Real Player. So I said, let’s just call ourselves Real Good. It’s simple and common. Everyone will remember it.

RG has been around for over 15 years, but they don’t know how much longer they’ll be able to stay together. Their newest song, “If This is the Last Time,” crystalized from the heartbreak of thinking about the end.

Voice of Sergeant Lee
RG lead singer
Our core members have all been serving for 20 years already. We don’t know how much longer we can stay together or how many shows we’ll have left. So I decided to write a song about it. If this is our last time, let’s give it our all.

Corporal Han
RG violinist
When we were discussing it, we said we could actually hold a concert of all original songs. We can perform all the songs our members have written before or are currently working on. When we listened to everyone’s songs, we figured it’s like our memorandum. We all have these to-do lists, things we’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t had the time for yet, or things that are very important to us.

By continuing to write and perform their original songs, RG shows off the best of what the military’s musicians have to offer.

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Red lines, red lines everywhere! It can be nearly impossible to find a parking spot. That’s why many choose to park in lots like these, compromising cost for convenience.

Motorist
Finds parking pricy
It’s often full. I’ve even seen fees of NT$40, NT$60, NT$80 per hour, but you still can’t park there.

Motorist
Finds parking pricy
It’s NT$240 for a day in the city. I’ve even paid NT$700 before. It’s honestly too expensive.

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Motorist
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If you’re taking the Taipei MRT without an EasyCard or using electronic payment on your phone, you’ll have to purchase a single-journey ticket from a vending machine. Then, you’ll get this blue token upon purchase. But in the future, the vending machine will instead, give you a paper receipt with a QR code.

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- Paper gets damaged easily. It’s a bit of a nuisance.

- I think the tokens are more environmentally friendly than physical receipts. I suppose it’ll be a bit troublesome for elders, because they’re used to using the token.

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