Off-duty policewoman stops screen-sharing scam in Shandong
Bastillepost · 1 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
An off-duty policewoman in Dezhou, Shandong, stepped in during a street-side purchase after noticing a dumpling stall owner being pressured by a supposed customer-service caller to provide bank details and passwords. She identified the situation as a telecom scam involving screen sharing, shut down the victim’s phone and cut its internet connection, and helped save more than 400,000 yuan, or about HK$470,000, in deposits
Key Points
- The victim, surnamed Li, had earlier bought ginger on an online shopping platform and later received a call from someone claiming to be a courier company customer-service worker offering triple compensation for a damaged parcel
- After Li followed instructions to call back, the scammer persuaded her to download an app supposedly for after-sales registration, but it actually enabled screen sharing so the caller could view her phone display remotely
- The caller then obtained Li’s personal and banking information, accessed her WeChat account linked to multiple bank cards, and asked her to send a payment password by text after claiming her bank card could not receive compensation
- At about 9pm on Friday, July 17, police officer Zheng Xia noticed Li looking distressed at her stall in Dezhou and heard the caller repeatedly urging her to enter passwords and send bank account details
- Zheng identified herself as an officer from Lingcheng public security, turned off the phone and network after finding it in screen-sharing mode, and anti-fraud officers later removed the software and helped freeze the exposed accounts
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case is a reminder that refund and compensation scams can begin with ordinary online purchases and quickly escalate once screen-sharing or remote-assistance functions are enabled. The police response also underlines the practical first steps in suspected fraud cases: stop operating the phone, disconnect the network, call police and contact banks immediately to freeze accounts