Every Lunar New Year season sees a surge in telecommunications and online fraud, making it difficult to guard against. Many lack strong anti-fraud awareness and fail to take timely, proper measures like reporting to authorities to minimize losses after being scammed. In response, the Haidian District Public Security Bureau in Beijing has selected five typical cases to remind everyone to always be vigilant against telecommunications and online fraud.
Part-time order-padding jobs: Small gains, big losses
Online recruitment and order-padding schemes account for the highest number of reported cases. Victims primarily include young professionals under 30 and students, followed by low-to-middle income groups and stay-at-home mothers.Fraudsters flood the internet with part-time order-padding ads. Initially, they pay victims small sums as agreed to lower their guard. Later, they refuse to pay back principal or rewards under various pretexts—such as incomplete tasks or network issues—while pressuring victims to continue order-padding and invest more capital.
Prevention Tips: Any offer touting "high commissions" or "advance payments" is a scam.Any work involving order padding, point padding, or credit padding is illegal. Not only are you likely to be scammed, but you may also face legal consequences. Do not trust job postings in WeChat groups, QQ groups, or forums. Seek part-time work on legitimate job websites.
"Public Security, Procuratorate, and Court" Scams: Deeply Deceptive
Impersonating "public security, procuratorate, and court" officials involves the largest sums of money and the most sophisticated tactics.Victims are primarily young female freelancers under 30 and retired women. Scammers impersonate police officers, prosecutors, or judges, accusing victims of various crimes (phone bill overdue, parcel delivery issues, bank card fraud, mobile phone involvement in cases) and demanding account verification funds or transfers to "safe accounts." They may even fabricate fake "wanted notices" to manipulate victims.After gaining trust, they trick victims into clicking or downloading deceptively authentic "police system" apps. In this case, the so-called "random code" was actually the transfer amount, while the numbers on the USB token represented dynamic passwords. Suspects sometimes also lure victims into downloading "Trojan horses" under the pretext of installing case-handling software, enabling remote control of fund transfers.
Prevention Tips: - Anyone claiming to be from "public security, procuratorate, or court" agencies who conducts investigations, takes statements, verifies funds, or reviews accounts over the phone is a scammer. - Anyone claiming to be from the Communications Administration, Telecommunications Administration, or a bank who proactively transfers you to "public security authorities" under the pretext of an investigation is a scammer. - Anyone demanding you transfer funds to a designated account, verify or activate online banking, or requesting account numbers, passwords, or verification codes is a scammer.Do not casually download or install software from unknown sources. If you cannot verify authenticity, promptly call 110 for confirmation.
Verify Before Transferring via QQ/WeChat
Impersonating bosses to deceive accountants and cashiers is the most deceptive tactic.This scam primarily targets finance staff at small and medium-sized enterprises. Fraudsters impersonate company bosses via WeChat, QQ, or other platforms, adding finance personnel as contacts. They issue transfer orders mimicking the boss's tone or add finance staff to so-called "company executive groups." Exploiting employees' deference to superiors and reluctance to question orders, they manipulate finance personnel into transferring funds.
Prevention Tips: Immediately notify friends, family, and colleagues if your QQ or WeChat account is compromised to prevent impersonation scams. Always verify fund transfers in person or by calling back the original number. Never process fund transfers via WeChat or QQ. Financial staff must strictly follow established procedures and workflows—never bypass protocols for special circumstances.
Don't Pay Fees Before Getting Loans
Scammers impersonating online financial companies target loan applicants, with victims skewing toward younger age groups.Victims are predominantly young, self-employed males under 30 and office workers. Scammers exploit young people's propensity for overspending and social comparison by offering services like credit limit increases, cash advances, high-limit credit cards, or low-interest loans. They defraud victims through intermediary fees, prepaid interest, or security deposits.
Prevention Tips: Legitimate financial institutions never demand upfront fees for loans. Refuse any requests for bank card numbers or passwords under the pretext of transaction verification. Be wary of scammers demanding deposits, processing fees, or card activation charges. Avoid installing apps from unknown sources, and use distinct passwords for payment systems versus everyday accounts.
Beware of Fake "Customer Service" in Online Shopping
Impersonating customer service representatives to defraud online shoppers represents the newest and fastest-growing scam tactic.
This method combines elements of impersonating public security, procuratorate, and court officials with customer service refund scams. Suspects pose as Taobao customer service agents, claiming a staff error occurred and asking if the transaction should be canceled.After the victim agrees, the suspect requests a quiet environment for the call, claiming to record the complaint. To bypass police anti-fraud systems, the suspect instructs the victim to ignore any phone calls or text messages from cyber supervision authorities or police departments warning about telecom fraud.The suspect then directs the victim through a series of steps. After claiming the operation failed, to bypass security alerts from platforms like Alipay, the suspect claims the victim's information is incomplete and demands a transfer via WeChat or various bank apps. Once the victim is brainwashed, the suspect gradually increases the transfer amounts, coercing the victim to borrow money through lending platforms until all funds are depleted or the victim regains awareness.
Prevention Tips: - Always verify refunds, re-payments, or feature cancellations by logging into official shopping websites yourself. - Scammers often request loan limits, stock portfolios, or financial details. - Scammers insist on private calls and forbid sharing information with family or friends.