Taiwanese lawmakers are questioning the National Communications Commission's policy that requires two-way authorization when consumers make mobile payments involving small-ticket items. Regulators concluded the procedure does not reduce fraud enough, according to a report in the Taipei Times.

The commission said it established the system to combat scams in Taiwan that involved text-messaging applications. Government statistics, however, show fraud is happening at a quicker pace this year.

The number of fraud cases through text scams recorded this year through April has reached 497, up from 272 cases during all of last year. This year's cases have resulted in financial losses of NT$3.15 million compared with NT$2.45 million in 2013.

"Hackers buy something online with the stolen information and ask the telecom carriers to allow for payment through a mobile device," Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tsai Chi-chang said in the article. "Telecom carriers are supposed to send a message to the user requesting authorization. Because the hackers have 'occupied' users' mobile phones through phishing messages, their mobile phones will automatically authorize such payment without the customer's knowledge. Instead of a reduction in fraud, we are seeing a rise."