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‘Heartless’ online scammers and hackers take advantage of coronavirus fears, mask shortages in China
- This is the second in a series on the impact of the coronavirus on China's technology sector
- Over 7,500 coronavirus-related fraud cases have been reported in China as of February 24, with most involving face masks
Reading Time:5 minutes
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Chen Xiaobai, a graphic designer from Changsha city in southern China’s Hunan province, has been running a WeChat group since the beginning of February called The Victims of Online Masks Fraud.
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The group has attracted about 170 members, all of whom had been cheated of money while trying to purchase face masks online to protect themselves or other people from the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Online fraud has a long history, but fears about the coronavirus outbreak and a shortage of masks has brought swindlers a fresh pool of potential victims among China’s 800 million internet users.
With the huge demand for masks far exceeding the supply – China has 1.4 billion people, while its daily mask production capacity has been reported to be 22 million – many have no choice but to turn to private channels such as WeChat groups to look for possible stocks.
Chen started the WeChat support group after she herself fell victim to a scammer on the first day of the Lunar New Year. News of the epidemic had begun to spread, and the 21-year-old was eager to get masks for her family members who run a vegetable stall that remained open during the holiday.
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