Telecom Fraud

Chinese authorities in Zhejiang Province warned against sophisticated telecom fraud after police in Tongxiang City rescued a woman, Ms. Li, from a scam. Fraudsters, posing as “Douyin customer service,” tricked her into installing a screen-sharing app, gaining control of her phone and linking her bank cards to online platforms. The scam began with a false claim about unwanted live-streaming fees. Police intervened, seizing the remotely controlled phone and preventing financial loss by removing the SIM card. Authorities emphasize similar scams target users across various platforms.

Police in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, prevented an elderly woman from losing 1.6 million yuan to telecom fraudsters posing as Douyin (TikTok’s Chinese counterpart) customer service. The scammers claimed she unknowingly subscribed to a premium service and threatened her credit score. Alerted by a fraud detection system, police raced to her home, stopped the scam in progress, uninstalled malicious software, froze her accounts, and reversed the scammers’ actions to access her savings. Authorities warn citizens against unsolicited membership offers and screen-sharing requests.