Today’s Focus: Too many scammers and traps everywhere, Taiwanese government bans Xiaohongshu; Mainland youth struggling to make ends meet, parents cry out, “Can’t afford to support you, don’t work.”
On December 4th, the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau stated that after information security testing by the National Security Bureau, all 15 indicators of the Mainland social platform “Xiaohongshu” did not meet the requirements and has been banned for a year. The news sparked discussions.
In fact, more than a year ago, Mainland media had already reported frequent fraud cases on Xiaohongshu, labeling it as a “scammer hub.”
On Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of the Interior’s Criminal Investigation Bureau held a press conference titled “Protecting Taiwan, Combating Fraudulent and Security-Related Apps Together.”
Commander of the Executive Yuan’s Fraud Combat Command Ma Shiyuan stated that there are over 3 million users of the “Xiaohongshu” app in Taiwan. The app not only failed in information security testing but also, from 2024 to date, was involved in 1706 fraud cases, resulting in nearly NT$250 million in property losses, equivalent to around $7.93 million US dollars. Due to the lack of response after the letter was sent, it was temporarily banned for a year.
The Ministry of the Interior pointed out that on October 14th this year, the government through the Straits Exchange Foundation requested the parent company of Xiaohongshu to submit specific improvement actions in accordance with the law, but there has been no response from the operator. Xiaohongshu circumvents the jurisdiction of the Republic of China, posing significant risks to Taiwanese users and businesses opening shops on the platform. The follow-up actions will depend on whether the company responds actively and cooperates with the relevant laws of the Republic of China to ensure digital security for the people, followed by considering subsequent measures.
The news sparked discussions. On the evening of the same day, the topic “Taiwan Bans Xiaohongshu for One Year” became the top trending topic on the Chinese social platform Weibo, with mixed reactions from netizens.
Some netizens commented “Xiaohongshu already had many problems,” “It should be banned domestically too,” “Scammer hub,” “Cancerous software”; while some praised that Taiwan’s IP users were particularly friendly, expressing regret at the inability to interact with Taiwanese users.
Not only Taiwanese authorities, but even Mainland media have reported multiple fraud cases related to Xiaohongshu. For example, in October 2024, Beijing Radio and Television Station’s new media “Beijing Time” had reported multiple fraud cases on Xiaohongshu, stating that the false product scams on Xiaohongshu involved various fields. The article pointed out that Xiaohongshu had become a “scammer hub” and breeding ground for scammers.
The article cited an example from May to June 2024, a store named “E-compass Global Travel” on Xiaohongshu, sold a large number of overseas travel packages. However, just before the trip, the business suddenly went missing. According to statistics, over 100 affected users were involved, with losses exceeding 1.7 million RMB.
A woman named Zhang from Beijing stated that shortly after her marriage, she wanted to find a beautiful place for her honeymoon. She saw a 5-day 4-night group tour package to Palau, a Pacific island nation, offered by “E-Compass Global Travel” on Xiaohongshu. The package was originally priced at 12,456 RMB, with a 5% discount for offline payments.
After Zhang made the payment, the merchant immediately sent an electronic contract, showing the payee as “Liaoyang Eleven International Travel Agency.” Zhang’s trip was supposed to start on June 18, and the company promised to issue the tickets three days before departure.
Subsequently, Zhang joined a Xiaohongshu group where all the customers who had paid were present. On June 6, several alarm messages appeared in the group, stating that the travel agency seemed to have vanished, completely unreachable.
Realizing the situation was dire, Zhang applied for a refund on June 7. Initially, the merchant responded, saying they could refund. However, by around June 21, the company had entirely disappeared.
In July 2024, a woman named Song from Zhejiang met Wang on Xiaohongshu, who proactively initiated contact. Wang claimed to be an active-duty officer in the military and they later developed a romantic relationship. Wang claimed to have an internal investment platform that was profitable without risks. Due to work reasons, Wang had Song operate the platform account on his behalf. Following Wang’s instructions, Song found the profits lucrative and, encouraged by Wang, she also registered an account and started investing.
After making some profits, Song increased her investments. To gain higher returns, she put nearly 19 million RMB into the platform. On August 2, when Song was unable to withdraw funds, she realized she had fallen victim to a Ponzi scheme.
Apart from using emotions to scam money, Xiaohongshu also utilized another scam where they took advantage of users’ desire for follower growth, setting traps to swindle money.
On December 24, 2024, a 10-year-old girl named Xiao Xu from Beijing, while browsing Xiaohongshu on her phone when her parents were out, received a private message offering to boost her followers by 1000 for free. Curious, she scanned the QR code provided by the other party and later received a warning message stating her account might be banned and fined.
At that moment, someone claiming to be “customer service” contacted Xiao Xu, saying she could help resolve the issue. In a panic, Xiao Xu followed “customer service” instructions, including providing personal information and transferring “verification money.”
When Xiao Xu’s parents returned home, they found that over 80,000 RMB had been transferred out from their bank account.
Investigations revealed that it was a carefully designed scam targeting young and inexperienced online users, involving three steps: using “free follower growth” as bait to reach the target group, creating a crisis such as “account suspension, detention, and fines,” then offering a “solution” to induce victims to transfer money.
In 2024, an account on Xiaohongshu named “Korean Miss’s Weight Loss Diary” garnered attention. The account operator claimed to be a Chinese student studying in Korea, sharing her successful weight loss journey using “Korean prescription weight loss pills” on Xiaohongshu. She claimed the pills were prescribed in Korean hospitals, highly effective with no side effects.
Through a large number of before-and-after comparison photos, detailed weight change records, street snaps and food videos in Korea, the account attracted many users wishing to lose weight quickly.
Subsequently, the account started selling “Korean prescription weight loss pills” with prices ranging from hundreds to thousands of RMB.
However, some buyers reported serious adverse reactions after taking the pills, such as palpitations, insomnia, anxiety, hallucinations, and depressive tendencies.
The account operator claimed these were normal side effects of weight loss and advised continued consumption.
It wasn’t until a doctor reported that one of his patients experienced severe arrhythmia after taking the pills, and tests revealed high doses of ephedrine and caffeine, substances prohibited in China. Investigations by the police revealed that the “Korean Miss” was a sales team from Guangdong, who had never been to Korea. The so-called prescription drugs were counterfeit products produced in Mainland China. Victims were spread across 28 provinces and cities in China, mainly aged between 18 and 35, including some internet celebrities and short video bloggers.
In May of this year, the Zhengzhou Newspaper Group’s new media platform “Zhengguan News” reported a case. In March this year, Mr. Mao contacted a company on Xiaohongshu providing academic thesis consulting services, paying a total of 7,500 RMB. However, after making the payment, the company did not respond.
Subsequently, Mr. Mao received a call from the police and realized he had been scammed. By then, his money had been transferred to a black account involved in foreign internet and telecom fraud.
In September this year, data from the “Black Cat Complaint” platform showed a surge in complaints about Xiaohongshu in recent years, with over 40% related to “fraud,” “counterfeit goods,” and “false advertising.”
As a social platform focused on “planting grass” and sharing, Xiaohongshu has gained a lot of popularity among young users in recent years. However, behind this seemingly beautiful “planting grass” world, there are carefully designed scams.
Several Mainland media outlets stated that Xiaohongshu is plagued by frequent false “planting,” consumer fraud, and online scams. Today, Xiaohongshu has become a “gathering place for scammers.”
With China’s economy continuing to stagnate, business closures, layoffs, and pay cuts have become the norm. Many young people are struggling to make ends meet, relying on financial support from their families. On December 4th, the topic “Unable to afford working anymore, it’s not groundless” gained attention, briefly becoming the second most discussed topic on Weibo.
A parenting blogger named “Happy Mom Li” revealed that her cousin graduated from university last year and worked in Shenzhen with a monthly salary of 5000 RMB while paying a 3000 RMB rent. After calculating living expenses, her aunt had to provide an additional 2000 RMB every month. After a year of work, her aunt had to support her with at least 30,000 RMB, which became unbearable. In this summer, her aunt said to her cousin, “Child, let’s come back!”
The blogger lamented, “Thinking about it, it’s quite distressing. On one hand, young people are gritting their teeth in big cities, trying to make a name for themselves; on the other, parents are silently filling the financial gap in their children’s lives with their savings.”
In an article, financial blogger “Quiet Determination” stated, “When ‘Can’t afford to support working’ evolves from a dark humor to the real dilemma of millions of families in 2025, it reflects the cruel reality where labor returns and living costs are upside down – working can’t even support oneself, but requires continuous financial support from the family to maintain the illusion of a ‘decent job.’… Parents helplessly sigh, ‘We used to support your education, now we support your work.'”
An esports blogger named “Main Character Talent” stated, behind the mockery of “Can’t afford to support working” lies the reality of many young people in 2025 “paying to work.” In first-tier cities, with a monthly salary of 5000 RMB, facing fixed expenses exceeding 8000 RMB, and parents needing to provide an additional 2000 to 3000 RMB, rent, commuting, socializing, and other costs eat up salaries, resulting in expenditure exceeding income. Overtime culture drives passive consumption, quality positions are concentrated in high-consumption cities, and average families’ children rely on family subsidies to survive in the workplace, with work becoming a high-cost endeavor that needs “blood transfusion.”
He mentioned, “This phenomenon reflects the imbalance between wages and living costs, not the lack of effort by young people. In the short term, self-preservation methods such as cost-cutting and geographical compromises are necessary, while in the long term, optimization of social labor return mechanisms is needed, making work a genuine pathway to improve life, rather than a burden.”
A Weibo original video blogger named “Lynn Is Smooth” expressed, “‘Unable to afford working’ might sound like a joke, but it represents the real economic account behind it. This is not groundless. Let’s calculate this account to understand.”
“Lynn Is Smooth” listed the top five fixed expenses of working, pointing out, “Just these five items, already catch up to, or even exceed income.”
First, commuting costs: Using public transportation, including subways and buses, requires about ten to twenty RMB for a round trip a day, and even more if driving, with hundreds to thousands spent a month.
Second, image costs: Maintaining a professional image at work requires commuting shoes, work clothes, makeup, skincare products, as well as periodic hair and nail treatments, which add up to a significant expense.
Third, social costs: After starting work, maintaining good relationships with colleagues is essential. Expenses like team dinners, afternoon tea, gifts for weddings or childbirth, all unavoidable costs.
Fourth, peace of mind costs: If you work overtime, you might opt for takeout due to lack of time for cooking and housekeeping, requiring spending on services like hiring a cleaner or buying semi-prepared food items.
Fifth, and the largest, is childcare costs: If you have children at home, this could be the biggest expense, possibly even “the last straw” to break the camel’s back, as nanny fees, kindergarten tuition, daycare fees could consume the entire salary of one parent.
Analysts pointed out that “Can’t make ends meet” is not just an individual economic issue but a societal phenomenon. In today’s society, high commuting costs, inadequate child support, slow wage growth, or even a decline have become the norm. “Can’t afford to support working” is more than a self-mocking statement, it’s a sigh of helplessness towards the reality after weighing the pros and cons.
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This translation represents a rewritten and expanded version of the original news article to provide a detailed overview of the situation involving the ban on Xiaohongshu in Taiwan and the financial struggles faced by young people in Mainland China.