Woman Almost Scammed Out of 60,000 Yuan After Believing Online Claims of "Zero-Threshold Store Opening and Easy Big Money"

In January of this year, Ms. Zhou, a resident, was watching a live stream on a certain online platform when she was attracted by an advertisement claiming “Zero threshold to open a store, easily make big money.” Just as Ms. Zhou was following the instructions step by step to open her store, she unexpectedly fell into a carefully planned scam and nearly lost more than 60,000 yuan.

Recently, the investigation center of the Beibei District Public Security Bureau in Chongqing received a warning tip indicating that a citizen had purchased a large amount of gold and sent it to another city. The operation pattern closely matched typical characteristics of telecom network fraud, raising suspicion of a scam. After receiving the instructions, officer Deng Yanchun quickly took action and contacted Ms. Zhou by phone.

“Hello, this is the Anti-Fraud Center of Beibei District Public Security Bureau. Have you recently purchased a large amount of gold? What is it for?” After the call was connected, Deng Yanchun patiently inquired. Ms. Zhou on the other end appeared hesitant and initially vaguely stated that she bought the gold to send to her daughter studying in Guangzhou. However, when the officer further verified key details such as the recipient’s name and address, they found that the information did not match her daughter’s actual details.

Faced with the police’s questions, Ms. Zhou changed her story, saying, “The gold was purchased for making jewelry and to prepare a dowry for my daughter.” These contradictory statements made the police more certain that Ms. Zhou had likely fallen into a scam trap. Deng Yanchun decisively invited Ms. Zhou to the anti-fraud center for face-to-face counseling and verification.

The police officers patiently persuaded Ms. Zhou.

“Please don’t worry, we genuinely want to prevent you from being scammed. If you really are preparing a dowry for your daughter, once we verify everything, we won’t delay your plans.” At the anti-fraud center, Deng Yanchun comforted Ms. Zhou while explaining and analyzing multiple cases of “gold purchase” scams over four hours. As the explanation deepened, Ms. Zhou’s attitude shifted from resistance to realization.

“I now understand everything clearly. Thank you so much! If it weren’t for your reminder, I would have lost over 60,000 yuan!” Under the police’s patient guidance, Ms. Zhou finally realized the scam and voluntarily told the police about her experience of being deceived.

According to her recollection, in early January, she was watching a live stream on a certain online platform when an advertisement claiming “Zero threshold to open a store, easily make big money” caught her attention. The ad claimed that no complicated operations were needed; just follow the instructions to open a store and quickly profit, and it encouraged her to download a certain social app for further communication. Subsequently, the scammer sent her a stranger link, asking her to download an app called “Internal Cooperation Tool,” claiming that all store operations, order management, and profit settlements had to be done within this app.

Later, Ms. Zhou opened a “store” on the designated webpage and paid what was called “goods payment” in eight installments on a certain platform, totaling over 60,000 yuan. Not long after, her store account showed a total profit of $120,000, prompting her to withdraw. However, the scammer refused, citing “insufficient credit score” and asked her to mail 60 grams of gold to repair her credit, promising that once repaired, they would arrange a large order of 100,000 yuan to help her “earn more.”

Eager to withdraw and eager for more profit, Ms. Zhou trusted the scammer and immediately purchased 60 grams of gold worth over 60,000 yuan through an online process, mailing it to the address provided by the scammer. Fortunately, this suspicious behavior was promptly detected by police warnings, allowing for timely intervention.

After understanding the full situation, the police activated an emergency interception mechanism, quickly contacted logistics companies, coordinated multiple parties, and precisely tracked the package. Ultimately, they intercepted the gold during transit and recovered all 60,000 yuan worth of gold, saving Ms. Zhou from financial loss.

The police remind the public: There are no free lunches, and quick riches are traps. Be highly vigilant against online ads claiming “zero investment” or “easy profit.” Never trust strangers’ links or download unknown apps. Any request to send gold or other valuables to a specified address or person is a scam! When dealing with funds, always verify the other party’s identity through official channels and avoid transferring money to unfamiliar accounts. If you encounter suspicious situations, immediately call 110 or go to the nearest police station to report, to prevent irreversible financial losses.

Upstream News Reporter He Yan, provided by Beibei Police