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A police officer disseminates anti-telecom fraud information to passengers at the Beijing West Railway Station, on January 14, 2025. Photo: IC

In a shocking revelation, police in Lanzhou, Northwest China's Gansu Province have uncovered a massive recruitment fraud scheme that defrauded more than 400 university graduates of 80 million yuan ($11 million), the Xinhua News Agency reported. The scam, which operated for nearly three years, marks one of the largest and most sophisticated cases of its kind since a nationwide crackdown on fraud involving fake state-owned enterprises (SOEs) began in 2023.

From late 2021 to June 2024, the mastermind behind the operation, surnamed Yu, along with accomplices, allegedly promised victims to secure well-paid positions at SOEs or central SOEs. 

Targeting recent and former graduates in Gansu, the fraudsters ran a sophisticated operation complete with professional training agencies, mock interviews and even fake onboarding processes. Their offices, according to victims, were located in upscale commercial buildings, which enhanced the scheme's appearance of legitimacy, making it easier to deceive many job seekers, the Xinhua report said. 

Ma Yanjun, a police officer from the Xigu Branch of Lanzhou Public Security Bureau, told media that he learned the case from a resident in his jurisdiction. "The resident has a former colleague, who turned out to be one of the suspects. After learning that the resident's son was unemployed, the suspect said he could offer him a formal job. Without a doubt, the victim paid the suspect 210,000 yuan as requested. This scam group later organized his son with other graduates to take written exams, physical exams, interviews and training sessions," Ma said.

Another victim, identified as Li Minglan (pseudonym), said the fraudster lured her with the promise of a stable, well-paying job with comprehensive benefits, plus social security and housing funds. The fraudster also assured Li that if the placement failed, she would receive a full refund.

Following the discovery, Lanzhou police established a special task force to conduct investigations and collect evidence. At the so-called human resources company's office, they found a large number of forged internships, job applications and agency contracts, as well as various exam papers, said the Xinhua report. 

The scam process not only included the usual "onboarding procedures," but some victims even went through "pre-job trainings" and were led to believe that a formal job was just around the corner. In reality, all these steps were carefully staged by the fraudsters.

Liu Kai, a criminal police officer from the Xigu branch, disclosed further details. "The suspects took screenshots from the official company websites and then altered them by using photo-editing software. The doctored images closely resembled genuine recruitment materials from official websites," Liu said.

This case, as part of a national action to crack down on fraud related to impersonating SOEs, is one of the largest, well organized, and malicious cases. The case is still under further investigation, the Xinhua report said. This case also highlights the challenges in preventing employment fraud schemes that exploit bribery tactics, it added. 

Associate Professor Bai Haijuan from the Law School of Gansu Political Science and Law University urged job seekers to adopt a realistic perspective on employment. 

Job seekers should not blindly pursue "secure jobs" but instead consider the job most suited for their skills and career plans. During job searches and applications, they should strengthen their awareness of fraud prevention, avoid being misled by overly attractive salary offers, refrain from casually disclosing personal information, and never agree to pay upfront fees for job placements, Bai said.

Global Times