[3] Sun Yizhou was almost scammed; beware of the "big scam crab."

Compiled from The Paper
 
[2] As the crab season arrives, a new type of fraud has emerged.
 
Case review
[3] On October 7, actor Sun Yizhou posted on Weibo, saying, "I received a delivery with a crab card, thinking it was from a friend. I scanned it but felt something was off. After searching, I realized it might be a scam! There’s no such thing as a free lunch, nor free crabs. If you unexpectedly receive a crab card or any other item with no clear source, be cautious! Don’t scan the code! Beware of being tricked! New fraud methods are popping up..." 

[1] Image source from the internet; if infringement occurs, please delete!

 

[4] Coincidentally, in recent days, many netizens on various social platforms have shared the crab cards they received, and local police have issued warnings. On October 8, a reporter from The Paper found that some crab card QR codes had been blocked, but customer service representatives from multiple crab card stores said it’s still difficult to distinguish genuine cards from fakes based solely on the card itself.
 
[5] According to netizen feedback, after scanning the QR code and adding an "online customer service," the "tactics" of these "online customer service" agents vary. Some netizens provided their phone numbers to the "online customer service," who then said there was a free fruit and merchant gift to claim before sending the hairy crabs. Others were repeatedly asked to scan codes to join groups after adding the "online customer service."
 
[6] On October 7, Beijing Police posted on Weibo, saying, "After scanning the code, most operations involve things like ‘join the group to get gifts,’ ‘guide to download an app,’ or ‘do tasks.’ Ultimately, the goal is to obtain information and steal money." "There’s no such thing as free crab meat, mooncakes, zongzi, roast duck, crispy chicken, crawfish, dandan noodles, or anything else."
 
Previously, on October 5, an emergency warning issued by the Shanghai Minhang Public Security Sub-bureau mentioned that in October 2023, a person surnamed Cui received a package containing a hairy crab redemption card with a QR code. After scanning the code, they joined a WeChat group chat, where they followed the guide of a customer service representative to follow stores, download a chat app, and complete tasks such as rebate scams, ultimately being defrauded of 20,000 yuan.
 
 
《 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
If you receive a crab card of unknown origin, you need to stay vigilant. According to current media reports and statements from customer service representatives of multiple crab card brands, crab card redemption is usually free. If the QR code requires additional payment for redemption, it is likely a scam, and you should not easily transfer funds.
 
Additionally, since there is no unified regulation on the specifications of crab cards in the market, and they are designed independently by various merchants, consumers should purchase crab cards through legitimate channels to avoid being unable to distinguish and buying fake crab cards, or even falling into a fraud trap.