The Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security reminds to be vigilant against fraud using express delivery and online car-hailing to transport cash and gold.

Recently, there have been cases of telecommunications network fraud involving the use of express deliveries and online car-hailing to transport cash and gold, under the scam of 'online fraud + offline cash withdrawal'. Scammers act quickly to deceive victims, launder illegal gains, and lure victims to use express delivery or online car-hailing to transport large amounts of cash or gold, resulting in significant financial losses to the victims.

Upon investigation, in these types of fraud cases, scammers typically deceive victims through methods such as rebate scams, false internet investment schemes, impersonating public security or judicial authorities, etc. After gaining the victim's trust, they deceive the victim into sending large sums of cash or gold through express delivery or online car-hailing to a designated location under the pretext of needing to 'pay fees,' 'unfreeze funds,' 'pay deposits,' or 'invest in shares,' while concurrently 'whitening' the illicit proceeds. Scammers can successfully obtain cash or gold without meeting or appearing in person, enabling fund transfers, which compared to online transfers, is more discreet and deceptive.

Officials in charge of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security stated that, in response to the new methods and characteristics of telecommunications network fraud, local public security organs have already deployed campaigns targeting express logistics personnel and online car-hailing drivers to raise awareness about fraud, guide logistics companies and online car-hailing platforms in developing response strategies, effectively eliminating risks and potential hazards.

At the same time, the public security organs remind the majority of express delivery personnel and online car-hailing drivers to enhance their awareness of prevention. If they encounter suspicious situations such as delivering large amounts of cash, transporting unknown packages, or frequently changing transaction locations during the order-taking process, they should immediately report it and not become an accessory to telecommunications network fraud. The public should remain vigilant and not easily believe in claims of online rebate scams, making money through online investments, etc. If asked to use express delivery or online car-hailing to send cash or gold, they should refuse immediately and report it to the police to avoid financial losses.

Three Typical Cases

On October 6, 2024, the Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City, Henan received a report from an online car-hailing driver, stating that a passenger had ordered to transport a package to a designated location. The driver, upon learning that there was cash inside the package, sensed something suspicious and, recalling the anti-fraud publicity received a few days ago, immediately called the police.

After receiving the report call, the Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City immediately dispatched personnel to the scene to investigate the sender of the package. Upon inquiry, it was discovered that the deceived masses were falling victim to a brushing fraud scheme. The scammers, under the guise of 'completing tasks for cashback,' induced them to transport fifty thousand RMB in cash to a specified location in Weishi, Kaifeng, Henan via online car-hailing. Detectives then followed the trail and successfully apprehended a suspect who had received the cash.

Responsible

receiving

money trade suspect was arrested.

Following an urgent interrogation of the suspect, investigators discovered that another sum of cash was in transit via 'Express Logistics' and had not yet reached the designated location. The Public Security Bureau of Xinmi City immediately activated the rapid response mechanism, successfully intercepting fifty thousand RMB in funds involved in the express box. Upon verification, it was found that the said sum of money was sent by defrauded individuals from another province. Xinmi City Public Security Bureau promptly contacted the anti-fraud center in their location and cooperated to persuade the individuals, ultimately preventing the victim from incurring any loss.

Currently, the case is still under further investigation.

On October 1, 2024, the Huangpi District Branch of the Public Security Bureau in Wuhan, Hubei Province received a request for assistance from an elderly couple with white hair.

After investigation, this elderly couple received a call on September 22 claiming to be a "police officer" from the Haikou Public Security Bureau in Hainan Province. The caller claimed that the elderly couple were involved in a major fraud case and demanded cooperation with the investigation, threatening imprisonment if they did not comply. The elderly couple panicked and installed remote control software on their mobile phone as requested by the caller, who posed as a "police officer". The fraudsters used the couple's bank account to spend one million yuan, purchasing 1600 grams of gold to be sent to a designated address. After asking the elderly couple to delete all chat records, the scammers disappeared without a trace. The next day, after calming down, the elderly couple found the situation suspicious and decided to report the incident to the police.

Police officers from the Huangpi District Branch found in the purchasing records of a bank app used by the elderly couple that the scammers manipulated the couple's phones to buy 400 grams and 1200 grams of gold on September 27 and September 30 respectively. Although the 400 grams of gold had been sent out but not successfully delivered, the 1200 grams of gold was being prepared for shipment. Subsequently, the Anti-Fraud Center of the Wuhan Public Security Bureau swiftly activated the police-bank cooperation mechanism, contacted the express delivery company through the bank to stop the delivery of the 400 grams of gold in transit, and arranged for the remaining 1200 grams of gold to be sent to the Huangpi District Branch via courier for return to the elderly couple. As a result, nearly a million yuan worth of gold was successfully intercepted within less than 2 hours of investigation, tracking, and coordination by the public security authorities at the district and city levels.

Currently, the Huangpi police in Wuhan have initiated an investigation into the fraud case and are focusing on

Similar cases

for prevention and interception.

Recently, the Public Security Bureau of Pujiang County, Jinhua City, Zhejiang Province received a consultation from Ms. Li in the jurisdiction.

According to Ms. Li, she met a man on Douyin who claimed to work in the military. The man said he had insider information on 'coin speculation,' but due to work constraints, he couldn't operate himself and hoped Ms. Li could manage the account on his behalf. Over the next period of time, Ms. Li watched as the amount in the managed account continued to rise steadily, which made her eager and she wanted to invest with the other party. The man emphasized multiple times that large transfers are closely monitored in the near future, so he needed Ms. Li to recharge in cash and there would be staff coming to collect it in person. Since the amount involved in recharging exceeded tens of thousands of yuan, Ms. Li was not very reassured and hurried to consult the Pujiang County Public Security Bureau. As soon as the on-duty police officers heard this familiar 'routine,' they immediately determined that Ms. Li was experiencing a 'online scam + offline cash withdrawal' telecommunications network fraud.

After investigation, the police found that the man was a fraudster disguised as someone else, gaining Ms. Li's trust through chat, falsely claiming to have insider information for high returns, and inducing victims to invest. The so-called cash delivery in person was to evade the supervision of public security organs and banks, and the personnel who came to collect the payment in person were actually a specialized money laundering gang. The Pujiang County Public Security Bureau immediately deployed police forces and successfully captured the suspect Feng who came to pick up the money, seizing an amount involved of 0.32 million yuan on the spot.

After investigation, it was found that the suspect Feng, due to business losses and debts, knowingly engaged in criminal activities by charging a 'run errand fee' of 7 yuan per kilometer as a 'tool' for offline cash withdrawal for scammers. After meeting with the victim and receiving cash, he helped the fraudsters deposit the cash into the designated account. The 0.32 million yuan in cash seized on the spot by the police was just obtained from another victim, Ms. Chen.

The police immediately contacted Ms. Chen to advise her to stop the transaction. At the same time, the police further investigated and successfully arrested another suspect, Mr. Ge. Currently, both suspects Feng and Ge have been criminally detained by the public security organs, and the case is under further investigation.

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