Recently in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, an elderly person’s phone was remotely controlled, rendering the screen black and unusable. Just as a transfer of 260,000 RMB was about to go through, a toothpick saved the elderly person from the loss.
On September 28th, the topic of “phone being remotely controlled for transfer” surged on Baidu’s hot search.
According to reports from mainland media, an octogenarian named Grandma Wu in Ouhai District, Wenzhou City, Zhejiang Province fell victim to telecommunications fraud impersonating customer service from a short video platform.
The scammers falsely claimed that her account had been upgraded to a live streaming membership, deducting 800 RMB monthly. Alarmed by the prospect of losing money, Grandma Wu, under the scammers’ guidance, downloaded an app involved in fraud that contained a Trojan virus.
During a screen sharing process, Grandma Wu’s phone was infected with the Trojan virus, causing the screen to continuously display “system is connecting to the conference center network…”
At this point, the phone became inoperable and unable to shut down or disconnect from the network. Simultaneously, the scammers were attempting to remotely control Grandma Wu’s phone to steal crucial information such as bank card numbers, passwords, and SMS verification codes, in an effort to transfer 260,000 RMB from her account.
In this critical moment, a toothpick on the table played a crucial role. By inserting a toothpick into the phone’s card slot and removing the SIM card, the remote control by the scammers was severed.
Ultimately, this toothpick helped the elderly person recover the 260,000 RMB loss.
Netizens in mainland China have been discussing this incident: “It turns out that remote control doesn’t require clicking on links.” “In the future, not only bank cards should be kept in the wallet, but also a toothpick should be carried around.” “In crucial moments, immediately pull out the card to cut off the network and avoid losses.”
In mid-September, an octogenarian named Grandma Li in Chaoyang, Beijing also encountered a similar telecommunications fraud where her phone was remotely controlled. With money about to be transferred out, she took a series of actions such as removing the card, cutting off the network, and shutting down the phone, thus breaking the scammers’ control over the phone and preventing the loss of millions of RMB.
Experts are reminding the public to enhance phone security measures, avoid downloading apps from unknown sources, and refrain from enabling screen sharing or remote control functionalities. If any abnormality is detected, immediately disconnect the network or shut down the phone.
Furthermore, it is advised to regularly update phone operating systems and security software, avoid downloading software from unofficial app stores, and activate phone security settings such as fingerprint unlock and facial recognition to enhance account security.