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China’s public security authorities report that telecom fraud cases involving malware infiltration of company computers—followed by impersonation of company bosses or clients to trick accounting staff into transferring funds—have occurred frequently, leading to significant losses for affected businesses.
Investigations indicate that fraudsters often disguise malware as tools such as tax software, office software, electronic invoices, and tax-related documents. They then lure employees into downloading and running the files through emails or links, enabling malware infection and subsequent attacks.
After a company computer is compromised, fraudsters can remotely monitor activity and analyze internal information using working documents, chat histories, and other data. They then take control of employees’ social software accounts (such as QQ and WeChat) without the victims’ awareness, adding fraudulent accounts to the victims’ friend lists.
When the timing is right, the fraud accounts impersonate the company boss or customers on QQ/WeChat, fabricate reasons for fund transfers, and carry out the fraud.
Authorities note that the criminal process is carried out discreetly and with high deception, both at the initial stage (malware infiltration) and later when requesting transfers. Even if fraudsters remain hidden for a long period, they can learn staff communication habits and internal financial approval procedures; a small mistake can be enough to cause losses.
In Phu Yang City, Anhui Province, police received a report from an employee that the company’s accountant appeared to have fallen victim to telecom fraud. Investigations found that a 36-year-old female accountant, Li, downloaded and ran a file from an unclear source in a work WeChat group, after which her computer was infected with malware.
Fraudsters abroad controlled the malware-infected computer, secretly stole information, and used the WeChat account of the “company leader” to impersonate the boss and demand that the employee transfer money to a designated account. The fraudster cited reasons not to approve multiple payments, asked for a temporary transfer to a personal account, and then carried out five transfers to the indicated accounts.
Because she trusted the instructions, Li transferred 160,000 TWD (roughly 600 million VND) before the company boss raised questions and the fraud was discovered. After the incident, police launched a pursuit, recovered losses for the company, and arrested six suspects.
In Shandong Province, the Harbour Port Police Station—Hai Gan, a division of Yin Tai City Police, received a directive from the National Anti-Fraud Center to warn a local company at risk of fraud. After holding a warning meeting, police learned that an accountant surnamed Li had installed an online purchase software, after which her computer was infected with malware and controlled remotely by fraudsters.
The fraudsters then impersonated a company employee on WeChat and messaged the accountant to request a transfer of 1 million NDT (about 3.5 billion VND) to a designated account. Police quickly removed the malware from the company computer and simultaneously educated staff on anti-fraud measures, helping the company avoid asset losses.
In Shanghai, Songjiang District Police received a request from a company director surnamed Li regarding an employee suspected of telecom fraud. Investigations found that on the day in question, the company’s accountant Hung received a WeChat friend request with an avatar and name matching the company boss.
After adding as a friend, the impersonator used the boss’s usual tone to chat with Hung, then cited a reason related to paying for goods and demanded transfers of 4.986 million NDT (about 17.45 billion VND) to a designated account. Hung recalled police guidance that money transfers must be verified directly or by phone, so he did not rush and instead promptly called the company boss.
After multiple failed attempts to reach the boss, Hung reported the situation to Li. Police assisted in contacting the company boss, successfully exposing the fraud and preventing asset losses. Authorities said the company’s computers had recently been infected with malware, allowing fraudsters to gradually gain insight into staff and business operations before waiting for the right moment to commit fraud.
Authorities urged businesses and the public to raise awareness of preventive measures, including regularly scanning computers for viruses. If an account impersonation is detected, users should delete the account and change the login password for the chat software.
Police also emphasized that when leadership, the company boss, or a client requests a transfer via chat software, employees must verify directly or by phone to avoid asset losses.
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