A Handful of WeChat Scams to Look Out For

There's a new WeChat scam making it's rounds in Beijing as of late -- and it's got us thinking about the legendary Nigerian prince email scam, if only for it's promises of getting rich quick without any effort.

What is the scam about?

Unlike the Nigerian prince email, the WeChat scam goes like this: an "agent" will either post in a group or message people directly claiming if you send them a small amount of money, they'll invest it and immediately give you a much higher return. For instance, if you fork over RMB 500, the agent will promise to send back RMB 3000 after having "invested" the initial 500, all within 24 hours.

Is the screenshot staged?

There's also been a screenshot making the rounds in regards to the scam, but as of press time we've not been able to confirm if it's legit or just staged.

Think about it -- how could someone who's suspicious of a kind stranger asking for their money just flip on a dime when said stranger pulls a George Washington and says "I cannot lie to you."

If it wasn't staged, it's just part of the bait aimed at luring people into forking over more cash for bigger "investments."

Once someone sends over that initial RMB 500 and gets RMB 3000 back, they're likely to get greedy and keep sending over more and more money until they realize it's a scam. It's a bit like gambling for the guillible: send some cash, get a bit in return, and you'll want to keep sending more and more.

The takeaway is to always stay alert to scams that promise to make you easy money. When something sounds a little too good to be true, it probably is.

But while new scams are popping up all the time, there are a number of other infamous WeChat scams still floating around that you should be aware of. These are as follows.

Fake Prince/Princess Charming

What it looks like: You'll stumble across these charmers if you use WeChat's shake (摇一摇 sao yi sao) or People Nearby functions. Posing as a rich and/or attractive person, these scam artists will try hitting on you and attempt to gain your trust. Then, they'll start asking you to borrow money, usually with the excuse of financial troubles or even hospitalization. (Think Netflix's Tinder Swindler type vibes.)

How to stop them: Don't ever transfer money to strangers you run into online, no matter how much you want to woo them and maintain their interest.

QR Code Scam

What it looks like: Scammers will send you a QR code selling popular products at much cheaper than listed prices. When you scan the QR code, though, a trojan horse virus within the code will enter and infect your phone. It could then be used to hack your bank account or steal your personal information.

How to stop them: Don’t ever scan any QR codes from untrusted sources.

Like-the-post scam

What it looks like: You'll get a message from a business asking you to like their posts to get free gifts. To get said gifts, though, you'll first need to provide your phone number, name, and address. Simple enough right? Only, these "gifts" will never come. Instead, your info will be shared with advertisers, who will only try to sell you more products.

How to stop them: Don't give out any personal information to anyone you don't know or trust. If a deal seems too good to be true, it most likely is.

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Image: Courtesy of Mina Yan & Don Ivancho