Xinhua News Agency, Jinan, July 6th: Question: Fake online loan app investigation: so-called "low-interest loan" counterfeit financial platform
Xinhua News Agency "Xinhua Viewpoint" reporters Wang Yang and Wu Jianfeng
Recently, Mr. Li from Shandong received a strange call asking him if he needed a low-interest loan.
Mr. Li, who was worried about the shortage of funds, downloaded an online loan app according to the other party's instructions.
After some operations, the other party defrauded Mr. Li four times for a total of more than 100,000 yuan on the grounds of capital verification and certification.
The Anti-Fraud Center of the Cyberspace Administration of China recently monitored and found a number of fraudulent incidents of counterfeit investment platforms.
The reporter of "Xinhua Viewpoint" found that many fake online loan apps imitated banks and financial platforms, and fraudsters diverted traffic and distributed them in large quantities.
Unannounced visit: I left my mobile phone number and received multiple online loan fraud calls on the same day
"We have prepared a loan amount of 400,000 yuan for you, please pay attention to checking" "No mortgage, low interest rate, fast loan"... Aiming at the mentality of some people "money is eager", fraudsters published a large number of "black households can be used for money" on the Internet. Advertising information such as "credit" and "no review" to attract users to hook.
The reporter randomly entered a website called "Black Household Loan".
The website claims, "Submit in 1 minute, arrive in account in 3 minutes. No RV as a mortgage loan, applicable from 25 to 50 years old. Regardless of black and white, 100% loan."
Under the guidance of the website, the reporter left a phone number, and then a loan app popped up on the website. You can click the link to download it without going through the app store.
The reporter randomly logged on to more than a dozen similar websites, and also received overseas calls, requesting to download the designated loan app.
"These numbers are all fraudulent calls. Remember not to download the software, and don't believe any promises to make payment first." During the reporter's unannounced visit to the fraudulent online loan app, the police issued several warnings over the phone to remind the reporter that he had been deceived. risk.
According to statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, since 2021, more than 60% of frauds have been carried out through fake mobile apps.
Among them, fake online loan app scams are one of the main types.
Li Xiaobo, an associate professor at the School of Public Security of the People's Public Security University of China, introduced that in the fraudulent online loan fraud, criminal suspects generally publish advertisement information for loan processing through the Internet, phone calls, text messages, etc. After the victim downloads and installs the online loan app, he pretends to be a bank or a loan company to work. The personnel contacted the victim and tricked the victim into making transfers and remittances on the grounds of collecting handling fees, paying annual interest, security deposits, taxes, agency fees, etc.
"Li Gui" App is iteratively updated and promoted through various channels
The reporter's investigation found that in recent years, fraudsters have upgraded and changed their modus operandi, and the online loan fraud apps have been edged, iteratively updated, and more deceptive.
——Defrauding under the guise of a well-known company.
Fraudsters imitated platforms such as JD Finance, Ma Finance, and 360 IOU, and launched a large number of "Li Gui"-style apps, using similar logos and product introductions to confuse the real ones, and using "small rebates" to induce netizens to visit and download, and then commit fraud.
Ping An Bank has issued a statement that criminals use counterfeit apps and websites to conduct loan fraud.
Mr. Lin, who lives in Fuzhou, Fujian, was deceived of 4,000 yuan to unfreeze money on the Yiren Fortune app developed by himself claiming to be "Yeren Fortune Co., Ltd. Zhengzhou Branch".
When he complained to Yiren Wealth, the company responded that its official staff would not charge fees in any name, and that Mr. Lin had been scammed by a fake online loan app.
It is worth noting that at present, fraudulent financial apps are frequently changed.
The same gang often changes quickly by changing the name of the fraudulent app, domain name, etc., and some may close after only a few days, and make a comeback with a different name after a while.
- Avoid auditing through website packaging.
The reporter's investigation found that many fraudulent financial apps downloaded by victims according to the "guidelines" were packaged by black and gray technicians according to the requirements of the fraudsters.
The so-called encapsulation is to package the URL, application name, LOGO, and startup image to form an App application package, so that the website can be presented in the form of an App.
According to industry insiders, the fraudulent loan website has been packaged and turned into a fraudulent loan app, which is extremely low-cost and hard to prevent.
Previously, a fake loan fraud app called "Zhongan" was packaged from a fake loan website that rented an overseas server.
Chang Wen, deputy director of the Center for Preventing and Governing Telecom Network Fraud at the Institute of Security Research of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, said that through the app packaging and distribution platform, developers can automatically generate and distribute apps with simple clicks.
Fraudulent apps are not put on the app store in the mobile phone system, and the scammers send installation packages or links to the victims to download, evading the application risk review and developer information registration system.
——Multi-party drainage and mass distribution.
The methods of attracting traffic to fake online loan apps include setting up fake loan websites to wait for victims to be hooked, or promoting them through various channels such as phone calls, text messages, WeChat groups, QQ groups, etc. Illegal purchase of information on people who need loans through the black and gray industry chain is accurate and fraudulent.
According to Shandong police, fraudsters also attract traffic by pretending to be couriers, posting part-time advertisements in the "Bao Ma Group", and posting advertisements in post bars, etc., with more channels, higher frequency, and stronger activity.
Control key links such as the production and dissemination of fraudulent apps
Since the beginning of this year, the police in Shandong, Jiangxi, Henan, Guangdong and other places have strengthened the governance of fraudulent online loan apps.
In the first half of this year, Shandong police cracked down about 101% year-on-year in online loan fraud cases.
The relevant person in charge of the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department introduced: "In response to fraudulent types of fraud involving many apps such as false loan fraud, special campaigns such as 'sweeping buildings' and 'broken cards' have been carried out, and a number of fraud-related apps development and drainage in China have been eliminated. Promotion and other dens that provide technical support for fraud gangs.”
Liu Junhai, a professor at the Law School of Renmin University of China, said that in response to fraudulent online loan fraud, strengthening the comprehensive governance of communications, finance, and the Internet is still the key, and various industry authorities should strictly implement the responsibility of the main body of supervision.
Industry insiders believe that in combating the production of fake online loan apps, it is necessary to focus on small and micro technology companies and individuals involved.
"These small and micro production companies are usually small workshops for building apps, thinking that they are only doing technical modules, and they have the idea of playing the ball."
For the promotion and drainage of fake online loan apps, the industry recommends strengthening the regulatory requirements for telecom operators, large Internet search platforms, and large social software companies, effectively strengthening the financial qualification review of advertisers and traffic buyers, and preventing the spread of false information.
The relevant responsible comrades of the Cyberspace Administration of China pointed out that fraudsters imitate investment platforms to induce defrauding netizens, causing netizens to suffer serious property losses, and may also lead to personal information leakage, which should be paid enough attention.
The general public needs to download the App through official official channels; in case of unofficial customer service contact, pay attention to verifying the identity of the other party, and do not perform transfer operations.
App stores and other platforms should strengthen the security review of apps available for download to prevent fake apps from fishing in troubled waters and harming the majority of netizens.