As the Spring Festival approaches, consumer spending, year-end financial planning, and travel demand surge, leading to a peak period for financial fraud. Authorities including Shanxi Province's departments for preventing and combating illegal fundraising, Hangyin Consumer Finance, and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China have reported that, in addition to traditional scams, new deceptive schemes have emerged. These include "holiday-exclusive wealth management products," "fake red packet or point rewards," and "refund compensations for New Year goods," which are more deceptive and covert, posing significant threats to public asset security.

Based on alerts from these departments and institutions, common new high-frequency scams are summarized below to remind the public to stay vigilant and avoid falling victim:

1. High-Interest "Holiday-Exclusive" Wealth Management Traps Fraudsters exploit the public's desire to grow year-end savings by luring victims with offers like "New Year exclusive wealth management" or "Spring Festival gratitude high rebates," promising "guaranteed principal with high returns" or "small investments before the holiday for large payouts after." To enhance credibility, they create fake links or QR codes mimicking official bank or securities firm apps,诱导下载并使用所谓“内部专属通道”, ultimately directing victims to transfer funds to private or overseas accounts before disappearing.

Common fraudulent pitches include: "Spring Festival special! Internal channel, 30% return in 7 days!" "Guaranteed profits in digital currency/gold futures with expert guidance!" "Loophole in betting platform ensures wins! Last chance tonight, join now!"

Reminder: Legitimate financial institutions do not offer "guaranteed high-return" or "short-term high-yield" products, nor do they provide "internal exclusive channels." When investing, always verify institutional qualifications and product registrations through official channels like the National Financial Regulatory Administration or the China Securities Regulatory Commission. Avoid unfamiliar investment links, unofficial apps, and never transfer funds to private or overseas accounts.

2. Fake Red Packet/Point Reward Scams With the popularity of online activities like "collecting blessings" and "grabbing red packets" during the Spring Festival, scammers spread false information on social platforms, such as "issuing holiday subsidies" or "claim 500-yuan coupons," or create counterfeit interactive pages. Clicking these often leads to fake "winning" prompts that request bank card details, resulting in stolen funds.

Common fraudulent pitches include: "Congratulations! You've won an 888-yuan New Year red packet! Click the link to claim." "Dear customer, your XX points will expire in two days. Please click the link to exchange for cash."

Reminder: Only participate in activities through official channels. Be wary of unfamiliar links and high-return promises, and avoid disclosing personal financial information.

3. Ticket Refund and Rescheduling Scams During the Spring Festival travel peak, refund and rescheduling scams become prevalent. Scammers obtain victims' travel details—including names, ID numbers, flight/train schedules, and booking times—through illicit means. They then pose as staff from airlines, railway departments, booking sites, or travel agencies, contacting victims via phone or SMS.

Using accurate travel information to gain trust, fraudsters cite reasons like "flight/train delays," "ticket irregularities requiring changes," or "failed bookings eligible for refunds" to offer compensation or refunds. They then诱导受害人提供银行卡信息、手机验证码, or request screen sharing to transfer funds from victims' accounts.

Common fraudulent pitches include: "Hello, your booked flight on X date is delayed due to weather. You can get a full refund or free rescheduling. Please provide your bank card number and verification code for processing." "Dear passenger, your train ticket purchase failed due to a system error. We can refund double the fare. Click the link we sent and enter your bank details for payment."

Reminder: Official airlines, railways, and booking platforms will not send refund/rescheduling notices via private numbers or unknown SMS, nor will they ask for passwords, verification codes, or screen sharing. Always use official apps, websites, or offline counters for such transactions.

4. New Year Goods Refund and Compensation Scams Amid peak shopping for New Year goods, this scam has recently surged. Targeting online shoppers, fraudsters use highly deceptive tactics that prey on victims' desires to "protect rights and avoid losses."

Common fraudulent pitches include: "Your New Year gift package has logistics issues/quality problems. We can offer double compensation. Download our dedicated refund app and register to claim." "The system mistakenly activated a platinum membership for you. If not canceled, 500 yuan will be deducted monthly, totaling 6,000 yuan annually! Contact our specialist immediately..."

Reminder: Legitimate shopping platforms handle refunds and compensations without requiring unfamiliar app downloads. Membership activations or cancellations can be managed directly on the platform. Any request to download unknown apps, share screens, or provide sensitive information is a scam—verify and refuse promptly.

5. Hot Topic Investment Traps Beyond traditional scams, fraudsters leverage social trends like "blockchain," "metaverse," "new energy," "rural revitalization," or "cloud farming" to package schemes. They fabricate "emerging industry dividend projects" or "policy-supported golden opportunities" using forged government approvals, project agreements, or fund supervision proofs, enticing investments with high returns.

Notably, amid recent gold price volatility, scams related to "gold wealth management" have risen. Exploiting public perception of gold as a stable asset, scammers blur lines between gold investment and financial products, promoting schemes like "physical gold custody with fixed high returns" that claim to "profit from gold price hikes." In reality, these lack actual gold backing, have fragile funding chains, and are essentially illegal fundraising schemes with high risks.

Common pitches include: "State-supported new energy project offers 18% annual dividends upon subscription, with government documentation!" "New gold wealth model: physical custody + fixed returns, 12% annual yield with no risk!"

Reminder: Stay cautious of "new investments" tied to policies or hot topics. Be skeptical of promises like "high returns, zero risk," "internal documents," or urgent investment deadlines. Always verify project authenticity through official channels and ignore claims of "niche dividends" or "policy loopholes."