Staff at a neighbourhood committee in Wenzhou, China, have landed in hot water after they were caught using printed photos of their colleagues to trick a facial-recognition attendance system.
Instead of showing up for work, the employees allegedly held up paper “face masks” of absent co-workers to clock them in. The scheme was reportedly coordinated by the committee’s secretariat, according to a resident identified as Li.
Surveillance footage mounted directly above the attendance machine captured the entire ruse. In the video, one individual can be seen scanning multiple printed faces to mark several colleagues as present.
The incident quickly went viral, sparking a heated online debate. Many pointed out that low-cost facial-recognition devices lack depth perception, making them vulnerable to simple spoofing using 2D images.
Some netizens highlighted the contrast with China’s notorious “996” work culture, while others condemned the committee staff for dishonesty.
“This is corruption. They should be fired and even legally punished. So many people are struggling to find a job,” one commenter wrote.
Local authorities have reportedly promised to issue an official response by 31 December.
