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On the trail of online scammers
By Yu Ning and Xu Wenwen |
May 21, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
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WHEN a Hangzhou student was ripped off by online con artists, she decided to get even and joined volunteers devoted to exposing online scams, netting 1,500 swindlers to date. Yu Ning and Xu Wenwen report.
It had started as an ordinary morning. University junior Hu Yihong turned on her computer to charge 100 yuan (US$15.8) to her cellphone via a vendor on online shopping website Taobao.com.
However, her phone wasn't topped-up and hours later Hu realized she had been scammed and lost her cash to the crooked seller.
Annoyed, Hu vowed to get her money back - and get even with the conman.
But while Hu did not manage to track down the crook, in less than a year she has caught around 1,500 swindlers on the website.
"I spend hours 'patrolling' Taobao, and once I find a clue, I report the suspect's ID to staff of Taobao.com and they follow-up the case," says Hu, who studies at Alibaba Business College at Hangzhou Normal University.
The college works with Alibaba Group, which operates Taobao.
Hu is part of a squad of volunteers tasked with uncovering swindlers on the website. The squad, established last June by Taobao and the Hangzhou Normal University, recruits its volunteers from Hangzhou Normal University.
In the past year, the squad has detected almost 10,000 swindlers and Hu was named top volunteer for the numbers of swindlers she identified last August.
Recently, Hu reported a record 200 suspect traders in three days during a big promotional activity. She uncovered bogus sites trying to pass themselves off as the company behind the promotion, in order to scam customers.
Hu is happy to share some of the tricks of her trade.
First of all, "if the marked price is well below the market price, it's likely to be a trap," says Hu.
For example, she shows an online motorcycle store with prices of 600 yuan - yet the average market price is around 2000 yuan.
Secondly, real Taobao sellers usually use Aliwangwang, an instant messaging software developed by Taobao especially for online trade, while frauds prefer QQ - China's most popular instant message software - because "QQ chatting record are not legally admissible," Hu explains.
Thirdly, a seller's name is often a clue.
"IDs consisting of a string of random letters or numbers are likely to belong to swindlers," Hu says.
She says frauds often holds many "wired IDs" because they register the IDs in a hurry.
Taobao says it receives many requests and complains about online fraud every day.
It also finds that many swindles take place in the field of virtual goods, such as online game props and cellphone charges.
Seven tips to avoid online swindles
1Use Aliwangwang messaging software when communicating with sellers.
2Even on Aliwangwang, do not click links or files from unfamiliar people - these could be phishing links or Trojans out to steal your private information.
3Only confirm that you have received goods after you actually receive them. Paying in advance leaves you vulnerable to losing your cash.
4Use third-party software to pay - for example Alipay on Taobao - which takes money from the buyer after the purchase, and gives money to seller after buyer confirms they have received the goods, or a set period passes.
5Be aware how the payment system works. Third-party software transfers money to the seller if the payment period is overdue and if you have not stated that you have not received goods. So if you have not received goods, be sure to click the "I have not received" button in time.
6Pay only for what you actually buy.
7Ensure that the ID of the seller is the same ID as the person you are talking to on Aliwangwang. Using different IDs is a common trick by swindlers.
It had started as an ordinary morning. University junior Hu Yihong turned on her computer to charge 100 yuan (US$15.8) to her cellphone via a vendor on online shopping website Taobao.com.
However, her phone wasn't topped-up and hours later Hu realized she had been scammed and lost her cash to the crooked seller.
Annoyed, Hu vowed to get her money back - and get even with the conman.
But while Hu did not manage to track down the crook, in less than a year she has caught around 1,500 swindlers on the website.
"I spend hours 'patrolling' Taobao, and once I find a clue, I report the suspect's ID to staff of Taobao.com and they follow-up the case," says Hu, who studies at Alibaba Business College at Hangzhou Normal University.
The college works with Alibaba Group, which operates Taobao.
Hu is part of a squad of volunteers tasked with uncovering swindlers on the website. The squad, established last June by Taobao and the Hangzhou Normal University, recruits its volunteers from Hangzhou Normal University.
In the past year, the squad has detected almost 10,000 swindlers and Hu was named top volunteer for the numbers of swindlers she identified last August.
Recently, Hu reported a record 200 suspect traders in three days during a big promotional activity. She uncovered bogus sites trying to pass themselves off as the company behind the promotion, in order to scam customers.
Hu is happy to share some of the tricks of her trade.
First of all, "if the marked price is well below the market price, it's likely to be a trap," says Hu.
For example, she shows an online motorcycle store with prices of 600 yuan - yet the average market price is around 2000 yuan.
Secondly, real Taobao sellers usually use Aliwangwang, an instant messaging software developed by Taobao especially for online trade, while frauds prefer QQ - China's most popular instant message software - because "QQ chatting record are not legally admissible," Hu explains.
Thirdly, a seller's name is often a clue.
"IDs consisting of a string of random letters or numbers are likely to belong to swindlers," Hu says.
She says frauds often holds many "wired IDs" because they register the IDs in a hurry.
Taobao says it receives many requests and complains about online fraud every day.
It also finds that many swindles take place in the field of virtual goods, such as online game props and cellphone charges.
Seven tips to avoid online swindles
1Use Aliwangwang messaging software when communicating with sellers.
2Even on Aliwangwang, do not click links or files from unfamiliar people - these could be phishing links or Trojans out to steal your private information.
3Only confirm that you have received goods after you actually receive them. Paying in advance leaves you vulnerable to losing your cash.
4Use third-party software to pay - for example Alipay on Taobao - which takes money from the buyer after the purchase, and gives money to seller after buyer confirms they have received the goods, or a set period passes.
5Be aware how the payment system works. Third-party software transfers money to the seller if the payment period is overdue and if you have not stated that you have not received goods. So if you have not received goods, be sure to click the "I have not received" button in time.
6Pay only for what you actually buy.
7Ensure that the ID of the seller is the same ID as the person you are talking to on Aliwangwang. Using different IDs is a common trick by swindlers.
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