CCTV Exposes New Type of “Mobile Remote-Control” Scam

IT Home reported on November 20 that, according to CCTV News, police in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu recently stopped two telecom fraud cases in which scammers used the excuse of “canceling automatic deductions for livestream membership fees.” Their timely intervention prevented nearly 200,000 yuan in losses for local residents.

According to the report, on October 30, the Anti-Fraud Center of the Runzhou Branch of the Zhenjiang Public Security Bureau handled a case involving Ms. Deng, a 73-year-old resident who had fallen victim to a “mobile remote-control” scam. Police finally located her inside a bank hall while she was still on the phone with the scammer. Her phone screen was behaving abnormally, and officers determined that the device had already been remotely controlled.

Police found an app called "Huitonghui 38" installed on Ms. Deng’s phone. When they tapped the app, it showed that screen sharing was already active. The phone screen would also lock and turn black intermittently, indicating remote manipulation. Fortunately, because the police intervened in time, the 150,000 yuan in her bank card was not stolen.

Ms. Deng later explained that she had received a message claiming that her livestream membership was about to expire and that the system would automatically deduct fees next month. The message instructed her to contact customer service if she wished to cancel. Worried about unexpected charges, she called the number provided. The scammer then guided her to download a remote-control application under the pretext of helping her cancel the deduction.

On November 12, police received another similar report. Another woman in the same jurisdiction appeared to be screen-sharing with scammers during a video call, and she had also been tricked into downloading the “Huitonghui 38” app. After coordinating with the bank, police successfully stopped a transfer, preventing the loss of 48,000 yuan from Ms. He’s account.

IT Home reminds the public:
Do not click unknown links or download uncertified applications. Never share personal information, bank details, or verification codes. If your phone suddenly blacks out, becomes remotely controlled, or displays other suspicious behavior, immediately hang up, remove your SIM card, force-shut down the phone, and report to the police as soon as possible.