Remember the hard rules against fraud: don't trust incoming calls, don't give out information, don't click links, double-check before any transfer; the seven most common scams all have this shape

Cost

Free. Remember the "three don'ts and one do-more" (三不一多), read the seven types below, install the National Anti-Fraud Center (国家反诈中心) app, and always pick up a call from 96110. If anyone asks you to transfer money, share your screen, download an unfamiliar app, click a link or read out a verification code, hang up first, then call an official number to check. The hard part is that the other side usually pushes you to hurry, and you have to hold out and hang up anyway.

What you get

The law requires the government and the relevant departments to explain the methods of telecom and online fraud (电信网络诈骗) to the public. Public security organs work with the financial, telecom and internet-information departments to run an early-warning and dissuasion system, and step in promptly when they spot someone who may be about to be defrauded. 96110 is that nationwide early-warning and dissuasion hotline, and you should pick up when it calls. In June 2026 the Ministry of Public Security (公安部) reported that the 10 most frequent types of fraud made up 85% of all telecom fraud cases. Fake order-boosting for rebates had the most cases, at 25%. Fake online investment and wealth products caused the largest losses, about 40% of all losses. The Fujian Provincial Public Security Department (福建省公安厅) breaks down the tell-tale signs type by type as follows. Fake order-boosting for rebates (刷单返利): "someone calling you to make money together most likely wants to make money from you," and the principal is not returned until you finish the task orders, which never end. Fake investment and wealth products: paid shills (水军) in the group chat show off their gains, you get a small rebate first and are then urged to put in more, and a "tax" is required to withdraw. Online loans: "a loan does not require a deposit or a bank statement to be built up, and if you run into this, it is certainly fake." Impersonated customer service: they say you signed up for a membership that will auto-debit and hurt your credit record, and pressure you to transfer money to cancel it. These scammers often have you download an app with a name like "some conference" (某某会议) and then turn on screen sharing. Once you share, "message pop-ups, SMS verification codes, password entry and everything else on your phone can be seen clearly." The Shanghai Anti-Fraud Center's warning is: "anything that mentions a 'meeting ID,' 'screen sharing' or 'remote control' is fraud." Impersonated police, prosecutors and courts: "there is no such thing as a 'safe account' at the public security organs, procuratorates or courts, and any 'public security organ, procuratorate or court' that handles a case or takes a statement by phone, QQ, WeChat or online is committing fraud." Abroad, scammers also pose as embassies and consulates, saying you are suspected of money laundering, have important documents to collect, or have a problem with your passport or visa. Then they transfer the call to the "police" back in China. The Chinese Embassy in the United States specifically warns students: "anyone who claims to be an embassy or consulate, a carrier, customs or the like, and on the grounds that you are suspected of a crime actively transfers your call to the public security organs, is committing fraud!" Romance scams (杀猪盘): "a 'lover' you have never met, whom you have only seen in photos or videos, should not be trusted lightly," and this person never video-calls or meets but often has an urgent need for money. Seduction-bait fake-task scams (色诱刷单): they arrange a meeting but first ask you to "do tasks," and you pay more and more. Recognizing them beforehand is much cheaper than stopping payment afterward. How much a payment stop can recover depends on whether the money is still in the account when you report, and for how to stop payment see §8.2 (call 110 or 96110 to have the payment stopped) (China, since December 2022)

Notes

Anyone who claims to be the police, prosecutors or courts, customer service, a boss or a platform's risk control, and asks you to "cooperate with an investigation," "cancel a membership," "boost orders for rebates" or offers "inside investment tips," is running the same script. A real loan does not need a deposit and the police, prosecutors and courts have no "safe account"; remembering these two sentences blocks most of it. This is graded B because the slogan is only the official publicity line, and there is no figure for how many fewer people are scammed after remembering it. The slogan and the breakdown of the seven types come from a provincial public security department's page. The Ministry of Public Security's 2026 report covered 10 high-incidence types of fraud. The remaining ones are impersonated e-commerce and logistics customer service, loans and credit records, fake in-game trades, online dating and friend-making, impersonated bosses or acquaintances, and flight refund and rebooking; the script is the same, and in the end they all want you to transfer money. If you are abroad and get a call from someone claiming to be an embassy or consulate, or the police back in China, saying you are implicated in a case, have documents to collect, or have a problem with your passport, always hang up first. International students are a main target of this kind of scam. When an acquaintance asks you in person to "help by scanning your face" to take out a loan, you are not asked to transfer money but you end up carrying the debt; see §8.45 (help by scanning your face). For the agent-operation (代运营) scams you may run into when doing business, see §12.24 (outsourced online-store operation).

Evidence grade

B : Supported by research but without a precise number, or based on small or single studies.

Sources

1. National People's Congress Standing Committee (2022). Anti-Telecom and Online Fraud Law [in Chinese] (Articles 8, 20 and 34). https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202209/t20220902_575631.shtml
2. Ministry of Public Security (2026). Ministry of Public Security Press Conference: Briefing on the Latest Situation and Characteristics of Telecom and Online Fraud Crime and Key Tips for Preventing It [in Chinese] (June 12, 2026): "These 10 types of cases alone account for 85% of all telecom fraud cases. Among them, fake order-brushing rebate scams are the most frequent, at 25% of all telecom fraud cases; fake online investment and wealth management scams cause the highest losses, about 40% of all losses from telecom fraud cases". https://www.mps.gov.cn/n2254536/n2254544/n2254552/n10491781/index.html
3. Fujian Provincial Public Security Department (2023). When 96110 Calls, Be Sure to Answer [in Chinese]. http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202303/t20230306_6126156.htm (a provincial public security page; it includes the rhyme "Don't trust incoming calls, don't give out information, don't click links, double-check before transferring money" and the tip "Beware of scam calls starting with 192")
4. Fujian Provincial Public Security Department (2023 to 2024). Fraud-Spotting Tips column: Order Brushing [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202307/t20230703_6196881.htm
5. Investment and Wealth Management [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202312/t20231220_6362145.htm
6. Loans [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202312/t20231207_6326741.htm
7. Impersonating Customer Service [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202310/t20231020_6279505.htm
8. Screen Sharing [in Chinese] (August 18, 2022) https://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202208/t20220818_5977906.htm
9. Scam Apps Such as "Bank of China Meeting" [in Chinese] (May 12, 2025; republished from the Shanghai Anti-Fraud Center) https://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202505/t20250512_6912823.htm
10. Impersonating the Police, Prosecutors and Courts [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202309/t20230913_6255863.htm
11. Police Liaison Officer, Bilateral Affairs Section, Embassy of China in the United States (2025). The First Letter of the New School Term (Part 3) [in Chinese] (January 28, 2025). https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/chn/lsfw/lsxz/lstx/202503/t20250305_11568435.htm
12. "Pig-Butchering" Scams (sha zhu pan) [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202308/t20230818_6232030.htm
13. Order-Brushing Scams Baited With Sex [in Chinese] http://gat.fujian.gov.cn/ztzl/fjjffpzxrx/spjq/202403/t20240307_6410612.htm

Translated from the Chinese original. Original book, section 8, tip 3. This section describes legal rules, mostly mainland China’s. It is general information, not legal advice; for your own case, talk to a lawyer. Content may be out of date and rules differ by place. When you actually deal with an agency, a doctor or a court, follow what local officials, doctors and lawyers tell you. Disclaimer