Xinhua News Agency, Harbin, November 2 (Reporter Yang Siqi) When a "leader" takes the initiative to add you as a friend on social platforms and ask for help online, this may be a trap.
Recently, the Harbin Public Security Bureau found a number of related cases. Some criminals used public information to package social accounts as "leadership" WeChat or QQ accounts. After gaining the trust of the victims, they used psychological traps to commit fraud.
Gao Lu, deputy squadron leader of the New Crime Investigation Brigade of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Harbin Public Security Bureau, said that recently, Ms. Wang, a citizen, received a text message claiming to be the "township party committee secretary".
After a while of chatting, the other party thought that Ms. Wang explained the support policy and asked Ms. Wang to add her QQ account, saying that she could ask her for help if she had any difficulties at work.
Feeling flattered, Ms. Wang immediately added the "leader"'s QQ account.
A few days later, the "leader" contacted Ms. Wang again, saying that she was in a meeting and needed Ms. Wang to help him transfer money to a friend.
The "leader" asked Ms. Wang for a bank account and sent her a screenshot of the transfer.
Ms. Wang then checked her account and found that no funds from the "leader" had arrived.
At this time, the "leader" kept urging Ms. Wang to help with the transfer and remittance.
The vigilant Ms. Wang immediately checked by phone, only to find that the "leader" who added her QQ friend and wanted to transfer money was actually a liar.
According to the police of the Anti-Fraud Center of Harbin Public Security Bureau, some fraudsters obtained photos and names of leaders of party and government organs, enterprises and institutions through various channels, and by modifying nicknames, avatars, personal profiles, etc., disguised as leaders’ WeChat or QQ, Actively add colleagues, subordinates or managed objects in daily work as friends.
"The fraudsters first draw attention to topics such as work, life, and business operations. After gaining the victim's trust, they forge the transfer certificate on the grounds that they are in a meeting or participating in an event, and ask the victim to help transfer money to the designated account as soon as possible." Gao Lu said that this new type of criminal behavior is to use the victim's awe, or out of embarrassment to refuse the leader's request for help, to defraud the victim.
The Harbin Public Security Bureau reminded to pay attention to protecting personal and unit information to prevent it from being used by criminals.
If you encounter a self-proclaimed leader who takes the initiative to add friends through social software and request transfer and remittance, you must carefully screen and verify the authenticity by phone or face-to-face verification.
If the authenticity is not confirmed, do not disclose, do not trust, and do not transfer money. If you find that the identity of the other party, the information is suspicious or has been deceived, you can call 110 to report to the police or consult the anti-fraud hotline.