Police warn of scams on WeChat
Shanghai Daily, September 30, 2013
Police are warning residents not to believe WeChat posts claiming children were lost, abducted or needed help, saying many are scams that cheat people out of money.
Police in the Pudong New Area said they looked into several “child abduction” posts that were spread on WeChat, but none of the cases had been reported to officers.
The posts were well-written, often with vivid and touching details.
For instance, one post said: “A three-year-old girl was abducted near the Yiyuan Community in the Pudong New Area this morning. She can recite her father’s cellphone.
The surveillance video showed the abductor was a man around 40 years old. The parents are going crazy. Anyone who has a clue please contact them.”
The post included a phone number that police said was a scam. People who dial the number are charged additional high fees without their knowledge, police said.
