“Online fraud has become one of the most common economic crimes in today’s society.”
With the popularization of the internet and the rise of social media, scam techniques have become increasingly diverse, making them hard to defend against. According to data from the China Anti-Fraud Center, in 2025, telecom and online fraud cases nationwide involved hundreds of billions of yuan, with victims spanning all age groups and professions. This article provides a comprehensive guide to identifying and preventing online fraud, helping you and your family stay away from fraud traps.
1. Most Common Types of Online Fraud
1. Fake Customer Service Scams
This is one of the most prevalent scam forms today. Scammers typically impersonate customer service from e-commerce platforms, banks, or courier companies, contacting victims via phone or text, claiming their accounts have abnormalities, orders have problems, or refunds are needed. They ask victims to provide bank card information, verification codes, or click phishing links to steal funds.
Real Case: In 2025, a Guangzhou company employee named Zhang received a call supposedly from “Taobao customer service,” claiming their recently purchased item had quality problems and they could receive double compensation. Zhang believed it, downloaded remote control software as instructed, and found 50,000 yuan in their bank account instantly transferred. Police investigation revealed this was a professional scam gang that obtained shopping information through illegal channels, specifically targeting users with recent purchase records.
2. Pig-Butchering Scams
“Pig-butchering” is a scam method using dating or friendship as a cover. Scammers find targets through social platforms, dating websites, or WeChat groups, establish emotional trust, then induce victims to transfer money or invest under various pretexts. This type of scam lasts a long time, and victims often only realize they’ve been scammed after being blocked.
Real Case: Ms. Wang from Beijing met someone自称 “successful professional working overseas” on a dating app. After two months of online communication, the other party cared for her deeply, and they gradually developed feelings. Then the other party claimed there was a “risk-free” investment project and invited her to participate together. Ms. Wang invested 300,000 yuan in stages, only to find the platform couldn’t withdraw funds, and the “dear love” completely disappeared.
3.刷单返利 Scams
This scam typically uses “earn 100 yuan daily” or “easy money from home” as bait, posting task information through social media or text messages. Victims may initially receive small refunds, building trust, then are required to invest larger amounts, ultimately losing everything.
Real Case: College student Li saw “刷单part-time job, daily settlement 300 yuan” information in a QQ group. After contacting, the other party sent a shopping link, asking him to place an order and screenshot. After the first刷单, he received a 10 yuan refund. The second time, the other party asked him to刷单 an item worth 2,000 yuan, promising a 200 yuan refund. Li complied but found he couldn’t withdraw the principal. The other party used excuses like “task not completed” and “system malfunction” to ask him to continue transferring. Li transferred a total of 15,000 yuan before a friend alerted him to the scam.
4. Impersonating Public Security/Prosecution/Court Scams
Scammers impersonate officials from public security, prosecution, or court departments, claiming victims are involved in money laundering, illegal border crossing, or other illegal activities, requiring funds to be transferred to a “safe account” for investigation. This type of scam is particularly threatening to elderly people.
Real Case: Shanghai retiree Liu received a call自称 “public security officer,” claiming he was involved in a money laundering case and needed to transfer all savings to a “national security account” for investigation. Under the other party’s intimidation and guidance, Liu transferred 600,000 yuan—his lifetime savings—to the provided account. When he came to his senses and reported to police, the funds had been quickly divided and transferred to multiple overseas accounts.
2. Key Features of Identifying Fraud
1. Urgency and Fear Tactics
The most common tactic scammers use is creating urgency. They say “account will be frozen,” “must complete operation today,” or “miss this opportunity and it’s gone,” preventing victims from having time to calmly think and analyze. This tactic exploits people’s fear of loss, easily leading to impulsive decisions.
2. Requiring Private Transfers or Sensitive Information
Formal institutions will never ask you to transfer money to a personal account or request sensitive information like verification codes or passwords via phone or text. If you’re asked to transfer to a personal account or provide bank card passwords or verification codes, this is definitely fraud.
3. Too-Good-To-Be-True Promises
“Low-risk, high returns,” “risk-free, guaranteed profits,” “100% profitable”—these promises don’t exist in legitimate investment markets. Anything that sounds too good to be true requires heightened vigilance.
4. Excessive Personal Information
Some scammers display understanding of your personal information, like your name or recent purchase records, making you mistakenly believe the other party is legitimate. However, this information may have been obtained through illegal channels and cannot be used as a basis for trust.
3. Practical Prevention Measures
1. Verify Identity, Don’t Trust Calls Easily
When receiving calls自称 customer service, public security, or acquaintances, don’t rush to follow instructions. First hang up and verify through official channels (like official websites or official customer service numbers). Remember: formal institutions will never ask you to transfer money or provide sensitive information via phone.
2. Install Anti-Fraud Apps
The National Anti-Fraud Center APP is a very practical anti-fraud tool that can automatically identify and intercept fraudulent calls, text messages, and phishing links. It’s recommended that you and your family install and enable this application.
3. Protect Personal Information
Don’t fill in sensitive information like ID numbers, bank card numbers, or verification codes on unfamiliar websites or apps. On social media, also pay attention to protecting personal privacy and don’t share too much personal information publicly.
4. Discuss with Family and Friends
When making decisions involving money, especially large transfers or investments, always discuss with family and friends. Scammers often prevent victims from contacting the outside world—this is a clear danger signal.
5. Learn to Identify Phishing Links
Scammers often steal information through forged websites or links. Pay attention to checking if URLs are correct, if spellings are accurate, and if webpage styles match legitimate websites. The simplest method is to directly enter the official website address in the browser rather than clicking links.
4. What to Do If You’ve Been Scammed
If you or your family members unfortunately fall victim to online fraud, take the following measures immediately:
Call police immediately: Dial 110 or go to the local police station, providing all related chat records, transfer vouchers, the other party’s account information, and other evidence.
Contact bank to freeze accounts: If the transfer was made via bank, immediately contact the bank to see if payments can be stopped or the other party’s account frozen. Although funds may have already been transferred, timely reporting helps police trace the flow of funds.
Keep all evidence: Including chat records, transfer records, the other party’s contact information, website links, etc. These are important evidence for subsequent rights protection.
Report to the platform: If the fraud occurred through a certain platform, report to that platform to help them block the scammer’s account and prevent more people from being victimized.
Conclusion
Online fraud is hard to completely prevent, but as long as we stay vigilant, judge rationally, we can maximize avoidance of losses. Remember: any decision involving money requires careful consideration; when encountering suspicious situations, discuss with family and friends; if scammed, call police immediately. Hopefully this guide helps you and your family build a firewall against fraud. If you find this useful, feel free to share it with family and friends, so more people can stay away from fraud traps.
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