With the advancement of technology, communication between individuals has become increasingly convenient. FaceTime, as a network-based real-time communication service provided by Apple Inc., offers us the convenience of face-to-face interaction with family, friends, and colleagues.

However, while users enjoy the convenience of FaceTime services, criminals have also seized upon the characteristic that FaceTime can bypass the supervision of telecommunications operators, and have begun to perpetrate telecommunications fraud against users through FaceTime.

I. Case Introduction:

(1) Recently, the Baiyu Road Police Station of Changfeng Subdistrict accepted a case as follows: The reporting person, Ms. Wang (pseudonym), received a FaceTime call from an "Agricultural Bank Customer Service" representative, who stated that she had an insurance policy nearing its expiration date and that if she did not cancel the insurance service in a timely manner, substantial insurance premiums would be charged. Since this "Agricultural Bank Customer Service" accurately provided Ms. Wang's personal identification number, bank card number, and other information, Ms. Wang firmly believed the criminal's statements. The other party instructed Ms. Wang to download the "NetEase Meeting" app and, within the app, demanded that Ms. Wang pay a "guarantee fee" to a designated account in order to cancel subsequent insurance charges. Only after making three transfers totaling over RMB 90,000 to the designated account as instructed did Ms. Wang realize she had been defrauded, and she subsequently reported the incident to the police. Currently, the case remains under investigation.

(2) Ms. Zhou (pseudonym) received a FaceTime call from "Alipay Customer Service Center" at her residence, stating that her Huabei account had an invalid high-amount online loan limit that needed to be closed, otherwise her personal credit would be affected. Subsequently, she was guided by the other party to download an app named "Zoom" and enable screen sharing. After accessing the "official website" provided by the other party and entering information such as her bank card number and verification code as instructed, Ms. Zhou received a bank text message indicating that the balance in her bank card had been transferred out. In a panic, she immediately questioned the customer service representative, who claimed that Ms. Zhou's account had been identified by the bank as a risky account and was thus urgently frozen. The representative then provided Ms. Zhou with a "safe account," stating that transferring the balance into this account would prevent it from being frozen. At this point, Ms. Zhou realized she had been defrauded and reported the incident to the police. Upon receiving the report, the police officers urgently initiated the freezing and payment suspension procedures, ultimately preventing Ms. Zhou's property loss.

II. Modus Operandi Analysis:

Compared to previous telecommunications fraud schemes, FaceTime fraud merely involves criminals adopting a different means of communication, while the underlying content remains unchanged. As long as residents are aware of the "modus operandi" of this type of fraud, criminals will naturally have no opportunity to proceed.

1. Identity Impersonation: First, criminals will disguise themselves as various "official customer service" representatives, such as "bank customer service" or "WeChat customer service," and use Apple IDs and other information obtained through illicit means to initiate FaceTime call invitations to victims.

2. Gaining Trust: After the call is connected, criminals will present credit reports, the victim's personal identification information, and other content to dispel the victim's doubts. Once the victim falls into the trap, the criminals will demand that the victim download a video conferencing software with screen-sharing functionality, remotely "guiding" the victim through the operation.

3.Obtaining Funds by Fraud: After gaining the victim's trust, the criminal will, on the pretext of "account insecurity" or "closing loan services," demand that the victim transfer funds to a so-called "secure account," or require the victim to log in to a purported "secure website" during screen sharing in order to steal the victim's payment information.

III. Fraud Prevention Tips:

(1) Prevention Tips forFaceTime Fraud:

1.Exercise Caution When Answering Calls from Unknown Numbers and Disable the FaceTime Feature

Upon receiving a call orFaceTime communication from an unknown number, all residents should maintain fraud prevention awareness and should not trust it under any circumstances. Residents using Apple iPhones may disable the FaceTime feature by following these steps: Go to [System Settings] → Enter [FaceTime] → Toggle off [FaceTime]. If FaceTime is indeed necessary, it is recommended to enable the [Silence Unknown Callers] option.

2.Verify the Other Party's Identity Through Official Channels

All residents must bear in mind that official platforms such as WeChat and banks will not contact users viaFaceTime, personal social media accounts, or similar means. Any "customer service" contacting you through such methods constitutes telecommunications fraud. If you receive a call from a purported "official platform," do not trust it; instead, independently verify and confirm by contacting the staff through the customer service hotline published on the official platform.

3.Use Third-Party Applications with Caution and Refuse Screen Sharing

In this type of fraudulent scheme, criminals often require the victim to use third-party conferencing software such as "Tencent Meeting" or "Zoom." Since these applications are common online meeting tools, victims typically do not become suspicious. However, through the screen sharing function of these software programs, criminals can not only steal the victim's facial recognition information but also obtain the bank card number, password, and verification code entered by the victim during online payment operations. Therefore, if a call from an unknown number requests adding a personal social media account or using various video conferencing software for screen sharing, all residents should resolutely refuse. Additionally, when using the screen sharing function, residents should also be careful to avoid the disclosure of personal information and payment information.

(II) Preventive Tips for Other Types of Telecom Fraud:

1. Download the National Anti-Fraud Center APP.

The National Anti-Fraud Center APP is a mobile application in China dedicated to disseminating anti-fraud knowledge and issuing fraud warnings. Its functions include: (i) intelligently identifying suspected fraudulent calls, text messages, and installed fraudulent apps, and issuing alerts; (ii) providing a one-click reporting function for fraud leads; and (iii) offering educational resources on various fraud prevention techniques.

2. Answer calls from "96110" promptly.

When the incoming call is displayed as "96110", please be sure to answer it! "96110" is the dedicated hotline for combating telecom and online fraud, specifically used for issuing warnings and conducting preventive publicity to the public. Receiving a call from "96110" means that you may be under threat from telecom and online fraud criminals. Please answer the call promptly and follow the advisory instructions to avoid being deceived!

3. Keep in mind the "Five Don'ts" principle.

(i) Do not lend your personal valid documents to others to prevent identity theft;

(ii) Do not readily disclose personal information such as bankbook (financial card) passwords, home address, telephone number, or mobile number to others to prevent misuse;

③Do not readily trust posted advertisements or online information regarding work-study programs, job applications, click farming, loans, etc.; do not

④Do not readily remit or transfer money to strangers. If a remittance or transfer is unavoidable, the other party’s information must be verified multiple times;

⑤Do not click on or scan links, QR codes, Taobao passwords, or similar items sent by strangers; remain vigilant at all times.

4.Procedures for Handling Fraud

If a resident unfortunately fails to identify a telecommunications fraud and has already made a transfer, what should be done?

①Immediately call 110 to report the incident or go to the nearest police station to file a report. Upon calling 110 or filing a report, the police will immediately take measures to stop payment to prevent further loss of the reporting person’s property. It should be noted that after reporting by phone, the reporting person must also go to the nearest police station as soon as possible to provide a written statement, so that the case can proceed with further investigation.

②Be sure to accurately record the fraudster’s account number, account name, and other relevant information. Be sure to retain the remittance or transfer receipt, such as the ATM transfer slip or screenshots of WeChat or Alipay transfers; be sure to clearly keep the complete account numbers of both yourself and the other party!