TapTechNews reported on May 16th that, according to the official WeChat account of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau, several cases of fraud targeting the elderly in Hangzhou have recently occurred, with losses amounting to millions of yuan.
It is reported that a retired resident of Hangzhou, Mr. Zhao, received a FaceTime video call from individuals claiming to be from an 'out-of-town department', informing him that his bank account had received 'illicit funds' and was subsequently added to a WeChat group. In the group, several individuals claiming to be 'police officers' requested Mr. Zhao's cooperation in an investigation. They threatened to arrest him in Hangzhou if he did not comply, stating that it was a 'confidential case supervised by relevant departments' and instructing Mr. Zhao not to contact the local police.
TapTechNews noted that the fraudsters requested Mr. Zhao to stay in constant communication and report to them under the guise of 'investigating the case'. Subsequently, they asked Mr. Zhao to purchase a new phone, obtain a new phone number, register new WeChat and QQ accounts, and install TeamViewer remote control software on his phone. They used the excuse of verifying Mr. Zhao's innocence by checking his bank card details to coerce him into providing his bank login information and transaction password. In the end, without his knowledge, 3.98 million yuan was remotely transferred from Mr. Zhao's bank account.
The Hangzhou Public Security Bureau stated that the suspects in these cases impersonated 'relevant departments' through overseas phone calls or Apple FaceTime video calls, claiming that the victims were suspected of crimes and sending false 'case investigation videos' and 'legal documents' to coerce them into cooperating with the investigation. They threatened the victims not to disclose the information to others or the local police:
The suspects would request the victims to register new phone numbers, purchase phones suitable for downloading and installing remote control software, register new WeChat accounts with the new phone numbers, and use the new phone to communicate with the fraudsters. They would then obtain the victims' bank card information and passwords through video sharing under the pretense of 'proving their innocence' and 'security checks', before remotely transferring the funds from the victims' bank accounts.
The authorities warned that relevant departments do not conduct investigations or gather evidence through remote methods such as phone calls, WeChat, QQ, or video calls. They do not request the purchase of new phones or SIM cards on the grounds of 'confidentiality', do not present crucial evidence in cases through video calls or images, do not inquire about bank account information or request fund transfers through the internet, nor do they ask for bank card information and transaction passwords. Any legal documents should be presented by police officers in person; any presented through webpages, apps, or other online platforms are fraudulent.