TechFlow News: On March 29, local police in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province intercepted seven fraud-related parcels at a courier transit station, seizing 310 grams of gold. The gold was concealed inside everyday items such as tomato sauce and moisturizing lotion. All victims involved in the case fell prey to the same scam.
Investigations revealed that criminals employed a hybrid fraud method combining “emotional connection” with a “fake investment platform”: first establishing emotional trust via dating apps, then luring victims into purchasing gold under the pretense of insider investment opportunities and shipping it to designated addresses. The purported investment platforms were entirely fabricated—their displayed returns could be arbitrarily manipulated from the backend. After “money mules” collected the parcels, victim funds were converted into cryptocurrency and transferred through overseas bank accounts multiple times, ultimately flowing into overseas fraud syndicates.
Police have classified this modus operandi as a novel investment scam dubbed “gold-to-cash delivery.” Authorities warn the public to exercise extreme caution toward any investment recommendations promising unusually high returns. The seized gold is currently being returned to victims in stages, and the investigation remains ongoing.
