A woman surnamed Li in mainland China, who lived a frugal lifestyle, was shocked to discover she had gone “bankrupt” while trying to transfer money to her family—her savings from six months had vanished. The culprit? Her own colleague.
According to Hangzhou Daily, Li attempted to transfer money on October 6, only to see her mobile banking app display, “Insufficient balance.” She was stunned, as she had been saving diligently for half a year. When she visited the bank to investigate, she discovered that ¥12,789 (about MYR 7,900) had been spent on multiple online shopping platforms and transfers over several months.
Police launched an investigation, first ruling out remote hacking of her phone. Tracing the transactions and payment records, authorities discovered a charge from a gold jewelry brand, which led them to the suspect, a woman surnamed Zhong—Li’s colleague at the hotpot restaurant where they worked.
Zhong confessed immediately during questioning. She explained that employees were not allowed to use their phones during work hours, so phones were stored in a designated area. She noticed that Li was unfamiliar with her phone, especially payment functions, and often asked colleagues for help.
Taking advantage of this, Zhong memorized Li’s phone unlock code and WeChat Pay password. She secretly took Li’s phone during work hours, linked it to her own accounts, and made multiple purchases and transfers online. She even scanned Li’s personal payment QR code to transfer money directly, effectively emptying Li’s savings. Zhong has been detained by the authorities on suspicion of theft, and the case is still under investigation.
Police have reminded the public that mobile payment passwords act as “digital wallet keys” and should be carefully protected. They advise against using simple or identical passwords for phone unlock and payment apps, never letting others handle your phone, and being alert to anyone watching your payment process. Using additional security measures such as fingerprint verification or two-factor authentication, and regularly checking transaction records, can help prevent theft. Any suspicious activity should be reported immediately, and accounts should be frozen if needed.
