"Everyone, don't get deceived by old scams in the new year!" At the beginning of the New Year, enthusiastic netizens have been sharing their own experiences with "scams" online to serve as a warning. One passionate netizen has compiled a list titled "The 2008 Scam Collection," detailing 15 different types of scams.
A meticulous netizen categorized these scams into three categories: primarily through text messages or phone calls to trick bank account numbers and passwords for money, and some scammers use job recruitment as a guise, taking advantage of unemployed individuals' urgency to work, luring them to interview locations to steal their belongings or even rob them.
"Who would have thought that thieves today are so brazen." A female netizen named Liu recounted her eyewitness experience of a "dinner table phone snatching" incident online. Ms. Liu said that one noon while dining at a restaurant, a woman was standing at the entrance speaking on the phone. Suddenly, a person quickly approached, snatched the woman's phone, and fled. By the time everyone realized what happened, he had already run 50 meters away. "A group of people shouted 'Catch the thief,' but he still managed to escape."
A netizen named Ken warned that mobile phones can also be remotely monitored. He claimed that fraudulent companies specifically call under the pretext of checking phone lines to scam people. After following instructions like pressing "#" or other keys, the company's system connects to the user's SIM card. Subsequently, the company can control the user's mobile card. There are reports indicating that currently over a million phones globally have been infected with this virus.
Appendix: "The 2008 Scam Collection"
In 2008, scammers were still actively at work, putting immense effort into perfecting their techniques.
1. **Bank Scam**: While passing a building with an ATM at its entrance, an elderly man approached me asking for help withdrawing money from the ATM because he couldn't read. I refused and suggested he ask the security guard instead. He then moved on to another passerby. Remember - ATMs have cameras! If he accuses you of robbing or stealing his ATM card, especially if it turns out his card is stolen, the ATM footage will incriminate you without any defense. This is a ploy by a scamming gang!
Please spread this message widely - scams are rampant and require constant vigilance!
2. **Home Robbery**: An owner in the Peony Residence found their home suddenly without electricity. Seeing others' homes lit up, they went outside to check the electricity meter box. Upon opening it, they were held at knifepoint - a case of armed robbery. If your home suddenly loses power, do not rashly open the door to check. Use the peephole or listen carefully before opening the door.
3. **Female Netizens Beware**: This is the latest scam targeting women. Female office workers should be cautious. On her way home, a young lady saw a crying child and stopped to inquire. The child asked her to take him home and showed her a note with his address. Out of sympathy, she agreed and took the child. When she arrived at the supposed house and rang the doorbell, it shocked her with high voltage, causing her to lose consciousness. The next day, she woke up naked in an empty room with all her belongings gone, and she never even saw the criminals' faces. Nowadays, criminals exploit people's sympathy. If you encounter such situations, do not take them home; instead, take them to the police station.
4. **Begging Scam**: While resting at home, someone rang my doorbell. Opening the door, there was a middle-aged woman holding two packs of wedding candy. Thinking it was a neighbor distributing candy, I listened as she spoke with a heavy accent, offering the candy for good luck in exchange for some change. I immediately closed the door upon realizing something was amiss. It's shocking how people beg for money these days!
5. **ATM Scam Warning**: Be extremely careful when using ATMs! Yesterday morning, while using an ATM at the Industrial Bank in Jin Hai Li, an elderly woman approached asking if I could withdraw money. She mentioned that a key on the ATM might be broken. Meanwhile, a little girl kept trying to squeeze close to me, even placing her hand near the cash dispensing slot to grab my money. Realizing something was wrong, I pushed her aside and waited to retrieve my cash. They set a trap - the elderly woman distracted me while the girl attempted to steal my money. If I hadn't defended myself, the money might have been taken. Worse yet, the elderly woman could have emptied my card since it was still in the machine. Be vigilant when using ATMs, observe everyone around you, and inform your family, colleagues, and friends to prevent such incidents.
6. **Elderly Scam**: My parents are retired. One morning, a stranger approached saying his motorcycle ran out of fuel and the gas station was too far. He requested a soda bottle to buy gasoline, adding that if unavailable, he'd pay 2-3 yuan for an empty bottle. My mother provided an empty bottle, and surprisingly, he pulled out some money - large bills requiring change. Sensing something odd, she declined, stating it was just an empty bottle. Observing further, he noticed our leftover paintbrush from renovations and offered 10 yuan for it, again using the same large bill. Fortunately, my mother isn't naive or greedy. Reflecting, an empty soda bottle usually fetches only 7-8 jiao, yet he offered 3 yuan. A new paintbrush costs about 14 yuan, yet he offered 10 for an old one. If he's wealthy enough, why not go to a supermarket, drink half a beverage, and use the empty bottle? Clearly, there was something wrong with the large bill, and he was undoubtedly a scammer. We promptly drove him away. So, elderly folks at home must stay alert!
7. **Paris Honeymoon Horror**: A newlywed couple traveled to Paris for their honeymoon. In Paris, while the wife tried on clothes at a fashionable boutique, the husband waited outside the fitting room. After waiting a long time without seeing his wife emerge, the worried husband asked the staff to check inside, only to find the fitting room empty. Assuming his wife was playing a prank, he returned to their hotel. Hours passed with no sign of her, leading him to realize the severity. He immediately reported her disappearance to the police and searched every boutique and hospital in Paris. Three weeks later, finding no trace, the devastated husband returned home. Unable to recover from despair, he quit his job and wandered aimlessly.
Years later, during a visit to Bali, he attended a freak show in an old house. Inside a rusted iron cage, he saw a woman missing all four limbs, her body and face severely scarred. Emitting animal-like groans, the woman lay twisted on the ground. Suddenly, he screamed in horror upon recognizing a familiar white birthmark on her unrecognizable face - it belonged to his newlywed wife who vanished years ago.
8. **Shanghai Version**: A few years ago, a woman informed public safety experts that her cousin disappeared inexplicably while shopping in Shanghai. Despite extensive searches, there was no trace of her until five years later when a friend spotted her begging on the streets of Bangkok, Thailand. Shockingly, she had lost both hands and feet and was chained to a lamppost.
9. **Hong Kong Incident**: During a trip to Hong Kong, a couple unknowingly entered a boutique in one of the city's most dangerous areas. The wife loved the clothing styles and entered the fitting room to try them on. However, the husband waited outside for a long time without seeing her come out. Concerned, he opened the door to find the fitting room empty. Asking the store employees where his wife went, they all claimed not to have seen her or anyone resembling her enter the store. He then sought local police assistance to search the boutique but found nothing. After searching alone until his visa expired, he reluctantly returned home without his wife. A year later, he took a long leave from work and returned to Hong Kong with his wife's photo, searching everywhere but still finding no clues.
As his vacation ended, exhausted and contemplating returning home, he accidentally passed by a curiosity shop. Intrigued by the word "Daruma" (a Japanese doll symbolizing perseverance) on the sign despite having no interest in peculiar items, he decided to enter out of curiosity. However, he shouldn't have! Inside the shop, he encountered a horrifying sight...on the stage was a naked woman with all four limbs severed, used as a vase! Her tongue had been removed, emitting strange groans. Initially horrified and wanting to flee, he paused to examine the woman's face closely...it was indeed his wife who disappeared a year ago. Later, he paid a substantial ransom to a local triad for the remaining part of his wife's torso. Unfortunately, his unfortunate wife had already gone mad. She remains hospitalized, continuously emitting strange groans...
10. **Baby Cry Scam**: Recently, someone told me that their friend heard a baby crying at the door late at night. Finding it unusual, she called the police. The police advised her, "Whatever happens, absolutely do not open the door." The sound seemed like a baby crawling near the window, and she feared it might crawl onto the street and get hit by a car. The police reassured her that they were sending officers and reiterated not to open the door under any circumstances. Authorities suspect a serial killer using recorded baby cries to lure women into thinking a baby has been abandoned, prompting them to investigate outside. Although unproven, many women have reported hearing baby cries outside their doors at night. Please spread this warning to others not to open the door upon hearing a baby cry.
11. **House Purchase Tax Scam**: A woman with a strong southern Chinese accent called my home, claiming we had an unclaimed refund of over 80,000 yuan in property purchase tax. She mentioned sending a letter which was returned and provided our exact address. She gave me a Beijing phone number to contact the "Beijing Finance Bureau Cashier Department" regarding the refund, along with a tax refund number, valid until 5 PM the next day. I suspected it was a scam to obtain my bank account information. Public servants should pass Mandarin exams, yet her Mandarin was atrocious. Government services typically send written notices rather than making individual calls, and online searches revealed no "Beijing Finance Bureau." Why would a Shanghai refund go to a central institution rather than a regional one? Thus, I concluded it was a scam and reported it to the police.
12. **Kidnapping Incident**: A colleague shared via email about her friend, let's call her Xiao A, who visited Luo Hu Commercial City with two other girls, Xiao B and Xiao C. Luo Hu Commercial City in Shenzhen is known for counterfeit goods, located near Shenzhen train station and Hong Kong's Luohu Port, with massive foot traffic. Xiao C needed to use the restroom, so Xiao A and Xiao B waited outside. After a long wait and no sign of Xiao C, they went inside to check. Shockingly, she was nowhere to be found. They panicked, calling her phone with no answer. Could a person just vanish without a trace? They immediately reported it to the police. When asked if they noticed any suspicious people entering, they recalled none. Then Xiao A remembered a cleaner pushing a cleaning cart entering and exiting... Police informed them this wasn't the first incident. Authorities now suspect an organized crime syndicate operating in low-security commercial complexes, exploiting people's lack of suspicion towards cleaners, particularly women, to conduct kidnappings and human trafficking. Remember, Luo Hu Commercial City is dangerously close to Hong Kong and Shenzhen train stations. Days passed, and poor Xiao C remains missing. My colleague says Xiao A is still awaiting news of Xiao C. Likely, if fortunate, Xiao C may be dumped somewhere alive but missing her kidneys. More probably, her head, torso, and limbs may be discovered in garbage heaps in urban-rural fringe areas of Shenzhen. If you see this real-life terrifying incident happening nearby, please warn your female relatives and friends to beware of people dressed as cleaners, as they may knock you unconscious and put you in a cleaning cart, leading to horrific dismemberment.
There's no room for jokes here; I have neither the time nor inclination to joke about such serious matters with anyone.
13. **Fake Lottery Win**: A few days ago, I received a call from a sweet voice congratulating me on winning a prize and requesting my bank account details to transfer the winnings. Familiar with such scams and knowing my account balance was only 500 yuan, I played along out of curiosity and provided the account details.
Soon, a second call came instructing me to check if the money had been deposited. Using an ATM, I found an additional 500,000 yuan in my account. Thinking fortune had smiled upon me, a third call followed. After confirming receipt of the prize money, they requested I transfer 20% tax to their company. Just as I started providing the account number, my phone battery died.
Rushing home to recharge, I excitedly informed my brother via a public phone. However, a bank employee advised against transferring the tax and helped check whether the deposit was in "cash" or "check form." It turned out the deposit was made via check. The bank explained that scammers could deposit random checks into accounts, showing balances upon inquiry but preventing withdrawals until the check-clearing process, usually three working days, confirmed no returns. Thus, wait three days before believing the money is truly yours. Two days later, the bank indeed notified me that the check was returned. Though I avoided falling victim, scammers are incredibly cunning. Hence, I share this to prevent innocent people from being deceived.
14. **Camera Scam**: Driving with my boss from North Fourth Ring Road to East Second Ring Road in Beijing, we encountered heavy traffic on an elevated bridge (as usual in Beijing). Someone knocked on the window. With four of us in the car, the boss lowered the window to inquire. The person glanced around and held out a digital camera, claiming a friend gave it to him and he urgently needed money, offering it for sale. A colleague in the back seat joked, "What friend? Did you steal it?" Unfazed, the seller insisted, "1000 yuan, it's yours!" (The camera looked like a high-end D70 model.) Tempted, the boss countered with 500 yuan, but the seller refused and walked away. As traffic cleared, the boss prepared to drive off, but the seller quickly reappeared, agreeing to sell for 500 yuan due to urgent need.
Just then, a police officer approached. Immediately, the boss handed over 500 yuan, grabbed the camera, and sped off without stopping. Soon, sensing something amiss, he examined the camera. It had been switched! Inside was merely a shell incapable of taking photos. The boss often uses this incident to remind us: greed for small gains leads to great losses.
15. **Lottery Scam**: On June 8, Huang Jun, a lottery enthusiast from Karamay, Xinjiang, saw an internet advertisement promising guaranteed lottery wins in 3D, Powerball, and Pick-3 lotteries for a quarterly fee of 1000 yuan or monthly payments of 380 yuan.
Excited, Huang immediately called the number provided. The caller stated that to receive accurate winning numbers, he first needed to become a member, requiring a 1000 yuan membership fee.
That day, Huang transferred 1000 yuan to the designated account online. He received a website URL along with a username and password. However, he couldn't access the desired lottery prediction information. Calling back, he was told he needed to pay an additional 5800 yuan expert consultation fee. After transferring 5800 yuan, they demanded a 30,000 yuan deposit, explaining it ensured members wouldn't share winning numbers with others.
Later that day, they promised to provide materials but required an additional 50,000 yuan material fee. On June 11, they insisted they would send the winning numbers via SMS but demanded a 48,000 yuan confidentiality fee. Repeatedly assured that paying 48,000 yuan would secure precise data, Huang borrowed and sent 48,000 yuan.
On June 12, Huang sent another 54,000 yuan. By June 13, he had transferred an additional 30,000 yuan, yet he never received the promised materials.
Within just seven days, Huang had sent over 200,000 yuan to the scammers. At the end of June, he flew to Beijing, searching around the company address provided online but found nothing after scouring the entire city. Only then did Huang realize he had been scammed.