Scam using WeChat

Scammers use pop-up or online ads to sell game credits or Chinese Reminbi at attractive rates. These ads often appear in popular games such as The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Jian Xia Qing Yuan 3 (剑侠情缘), Three Kingdom Rush, and Xi Fei Zhuan (熹妃传). When a victim clicks on the pop-up ad, they will be instructed to add the seller on WeChat. Thereafter, the victim is asked to register an account on a website in order to receive the game credits. During registration, the victim is asked to provide their personal information and bank account details.

When registration is complete, the victim is asked to make payment for the game credits via Alipay, iTunes or MyCard. Once payment is made, the scammer does not deliver the game credits and becomes uncontactable. Some victims are asked to make multiple payments for various fees or to authenticate or activate the bank account.

In the sale of foreign currencies, scammers ask victims to transfer money to a Singapore bank account before they can receive the Chinese Renminbi in the victim’s WeChat or Alipay account. Once the transfer is done, the scammer becomes uncontactable and blocks the victim on WeChat.