On April 30th, it has come to light that several homeowner groups in residential communities have seen a donation request circulating, claiming a child is seriously ill and in need of support.
Many kind-hearted homeowners extended their help, only to realize later that this was a meticulously planned scam, preying on people's goodwill.
WeChat's security team recently exposed the tactics behind this scam:
The scammers initially pretend to be residents of a certain community, add other residents as friends, and request to join the homeowner group.
Subsequently, they fabricate a false story about a "child suffering from a serious illness in urgent need of medical expenses" and post donation information with links in the group, using emotionally charged language to persuade people to donate.
Due to the detailed introduction of the child's condition and family background often included in these donation requests, people are easily misled into believing they are true. However, in reality, these contents are carefully crafted and fabricated.
When property owners question whether the person posting the donation request is truly a resident of the neighborhood, scammers will use excuses like "working away from home year-round, rarely returning" to evade suspicion.
As more doubts arise, scammers can no longer conceal the truth and choose to exit the group chat.
By this point, scammers have already deceived many property owners into donating, completing their fraudulent acts. The funds donated through the link flow directly into the scammer's account, making them irretrievable.
WeChat officials remind users: Stay vigilant about information shared in group chats and verify the authenticity through multiple sources. Especially in group chats where most members are strangers, avoid engaging in any form of financial transactions.
