[1] There are many types of scams, always stay vigilant to prevent them.
[2] Compiled from: Mudanjiang Public Security, Ping’an Bo’ai
[3] Case 1: Buying groceries online, blocked after payment
[4] Scammers exploit people’s urgent need for daily necessities during home isolation, posting ads on social media, shopping platforms, and forums to sell or procure supplies, waiting for victims to inquire. They often demand victims leave legitimate shopping sites, luring them to scan QR codes or click links on social media for payment. After payment, delivery is delayed or never made, and they may fabricate reasons like shipping fees or deposits for priority delivery to trick victims into further transfers. Once money is obtained, victims are quickly blocked and deleted.
[5] Case 2: Can compensation be claimed for positive-testing packages?
[6] Due to the pandemic, many package deliveries are delayed and require thorough disinfection. Criminals obtain victims’ online shopping info through illegal channels, impersonate courier companies, call claiming packages tested positive and need destruction, offering compensation. They guide victims to download apps, enter bank card numbers, verification codes, and payment passwords, thus committing fraud.
Case 3: Using superstition and love for children to specifically scam the elderly
Police in a certain area received a report from an elderly person who said she was scammed out of 2,800 yuan while buying vegetables at a market. Upon inquiry, the officer on duty learned that two women and one man had worked together, claiming that the elderly woman's son was in danger and needed copper coins strung with auspicious knots to ward off the disaster. Believing them, she spent 2,800 yuan to buy safety. Later, the more she thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed, so she hurriedly called the police.
The local police station, through interviews and investigations, tracked the movements of the two women and one man and expanded the scope of their probe, discovering that the trio had committed three other crimes in other parts of the city. By linking the cases, the police eventually caught the suspects in the act of fraud at a market. According to the suspects' confessions, they had clear roles and specifically targeted elderly people. One would randomly select a target, another would initiate conversation and lead the way, exploiting the elderly's superstitious beliefs and concern for their children's safety to swindle money.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 266 [Fraud Crime]
Whoever defrauds public or private property, if the amount is relatively large, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, or public surveillance, and shall also, or shall only, be fined; if the amount is huge or there are other serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years, and shall also be fined; if the amount is especially huge or there are other especially serious circumstances, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or have property confiscated. Where this Law otherwise provides, such provisions shall prevail.
[1] The author's perspective
Against the backdrop of the pandemic, coupled with rapid technological and internet development, online transactions have become increasingly common. Fraudsters have not only updated their scam content but also their methods. Using the pandemic as a factor, they employ telecom fraud, as seen in Cases 1 and 2. However, whether it's telecom fraud or traditional fraud, both are illegal and criminal, with telecom fraud being even more egregious due to its difficulty to trace and wide-reaching impact.
The recently concluded May was the National Anti-Telecom Fraud Awareness Month. In recent years, anti-fraud campaigns have shown some effectiveness. Many people have learned about fraud through various media channels or offline lectures and can quickly identify scams. However, fraudsters have also learned to "keep up with the times," not only updating their scam content but also focusing on vulnerable groups like the elderly and children with poor judgment. As Case 3 illustrates, criminals exploit the elderly's deep love for their children and superstitious beliefs to commit fraud. This shows that anti-fraud campaigns need to go deeper into schools and communities, with regular and targeted education, so that criminals have no opportunity to exploit, and children can develop anti-fraud awareness from a young age.
