An accountant at a company in Shandong Province embezzled over ten million yuan in public funds to send virtual gifts to a live streamer, including numerous large, consecutive tips. It was reported that the accountant sent 74 tips within 39 seconds, each worth 3,000 yuan, totaling more than 222,000 yuan. The embezzled funds used for these tips now face difficulties in recovery. Industry experts suggest that for frequent, high-value live streaming tips, platforms should establish prompts or a cooling-off period for refunds in accordance with relevant regulations to prevent impulsive consumer spending.
In September 2025, Zhang Na (a pseudonym), an accountant at a renewable resources company, was found to have exploited her position to gradually transfer funds from the company's public account to her personal accounts. The investigation revealed that, starting in September 2022, she had transferred nearly ten million yuan from the company's account to her personal accounts at China Construction Bank and Industrial Bank. Most of these funds were used to tip a male streamer on the KUAISHOU-W platform.
Zhang Na was known in the streamer's channel as a top tipper, frequently sending large, consecutive gifts. She had also privately added the streamer on WeChat, where they interacted regularly. When contacted for restitution, the relevant parties were informed that the platform only retains tipping records for up to two years and that reimbursement would require a court judgment specifying the amount.
A tipping record obtained from October 2023 to October 2025 showed over 30,000 tips during that period, totaling nearly seven million yuan, with the majority going to the aforementioned male streamer. Zhang Na's tipping activity was concentrated between 8 PM and midnight, with a significant number of rapid, consecutive tips. For instance, on one evening in March 2024, she sent 74 tips within 39 seconds, each for 3,000 yuan, amounting to 222,000 yuan.
Similar cases of embezzlement for tipping have become increasingly common in recent years, and sources from KUAISHOU-W acknowledged a rise in such incidents on the platform over the past two years. These cases often face challenges in recovery. Legal personnel noted that litigation processes are typically lengthy, and time is a critical constraint for companies. In this case, the death of the individual involved further complicates legal recourse due to the absence of a primary defendant.
Regarding the platform's policy of retaining tipping records for only two years, professionals argued that live streaming information should be preserved for a longer period. According to the "Online Supervision Management Measures" issued by the State Administration for Market Regulation, live streaming service providers are required to retain videos of online transaction activities for no less than three years from the end of the broadcast. Industry insiders clarified that tipping is considered a conditional gift, akin to purchasing a service, and thus constitutes a form of online transaction.
In response to concerns about rapid, high-value tipping, guidelines issued by seven departments in 2021 proposed establishing rules for managing tipping services. These guidelines recommend setting reasonable limits for individual virtual gifts and single tips, issuing spending reminders to users who exceed daily thresholds, and implementing cooling-off periods or delayed payment options when necessary. However, not all platforms have fully adopted these measures.
When questioned about tipping prompts, refund policies, and data retention periods, KUAISHOU-W stated that the account in question had no records of live stream commerce transactions and that its data retention practices fully comply with the Cybersecurity Law, which requires keeping relevant network logs for at least six months. The platform emphasized that Zhang Na's account was verified as belonging to an adult with full civil capacity, who is independently responsible for her actions. As a service provider, KUAISHOU-W stated it had no obligation or ability to verify the source of her funds and was unaware of any private interactions or agreements between her and the streamer.