Cop shields public from scammers

Telecom fraud makes up nearly 70 percent of all criminal cases in China, and the scammers update their tricks every year. One year, it's fake logistics customer service calls saying your package is "lost", and you need to pay a fee to get it back. Next, it's "investment gurus" promising 10-fold returns on crypto. These scams spare no one.

Xing's seen 7-year-olds tricked into sending game skins, 90-year-olds conned out of their pension, and everyone in between. "No one's too smart to be scammed," he said. "Scammers study human nature — they know exactly what buttons to push."

What makes these scams particularly insidious is their psychological toll. Unlike traditional theft, telecom fraud leaves deep emotional scars. Xing recalled a case where the police recovered funds for a victim, only to have the money rejected.

"He said the money didn't matter — he'd spent a year trying to forget the scam, and getting the cash back would only reopen old wounds," Xing said. "That's when I realized: we're not just fighting for people's money. We're fighting for their peace of mind."

Xing's approach to anti-fraud work is a master class in empathy and strategy. He categorizes scammers' tactics into two core psychological traps: "avoiding harm" and "chasing gain". Elderly victims often fall prey to fear-based scams — scammers claim their bank cards are linked to crimes or threaten unpaid fees, exploiting their respect for authority. Younger people, meanwhile, are lured by promises of easy money: fake investment schemes, part-time brushing scams, or get-rich-quick business opportunities.

Emotional scams targeting women are among the hardest to combat. Xing said many female victims, especially older or lonely ones, crave connection in a fast-paced society. "We're a reserved culture — people don't always share their troubles with family," he said.

One case involved a devoted wife and mother who, after battling cancer, felt neglected by her family. A scammer posed as a caring friend, listened to her grievances, and eventually convinced her to invest in a fake platform. "He didn't offer her money," Xing said. "He offered her attention — and that's what made her trust him."

To turn these victims around, Xing has to be more than a cop — he becomes a confidant. Persuading potential victims to abandon scams requires equal parts patience, professionalism and empathy.