WeChat Security Center has issued an official warning regarding fraudulent overseas calls. Scammers are impersonating Tencent customer service representatives, targeting users with sophisticated phishing tactics.
The scammers use spoofing technology to disguise their phone numbers as Tencent's official customer service hotline. They accurately state the victim's personal details, such as their name and overseas mobile number, to gain initial trust. The fraudsters then falsely claim that the user's WeChat account is linked to illegal activities, such as unauthorized public accounts involved in illicit fundraising. They create a sense of urgency by threatening to suspend the account unless immediate action is taken.
A key part of the scam involves the criminals offering to "internally transfer" the call to a fake police department, citing the complexity of reporting crimes from abroad. They then proceed to request sensitive personal information, including bank account details and verification codes, ultimately demanding money transfers.
WeChat officials emphasize that their customer service team does not initiate international outgoing calls. Account penalty notifications are only delivered through in-app system messages or penalty pop-ups within the WeChat client, never via phone calls.
Legitimate Tencent customer service representatives will never ask for passwords, verification codes, bank card information, or payment passwords over the phone. They will not request money transfers, so-called "fund verification," or online statement recordings. The WeChat team has no authority to transfer calls to law enforcement agencies.
Users are advised to remain vigilant against such fraudulent schemes and report suspicious calls through official channels.
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