On Feb 17, China’s Ministry of Education (MOE) released a warning regarding a new fraud scheme meant to deceive students and parents using online learning platforms.

According to numerous reports by parents of elementary and middle school students, people have been impersonating school employees through various WeChat and QQ groups, doling out fraudulent information about the postponed Spring semester and the implementation of online teaching, and then requesting payments via WeChat, Alipay, and other online payment methods. 

It’s no secret that the move to 100 percent online learning caught many schools and families off guard, effectively plunging both into otherwise uncharted territory. As such, MOE stressed that education departments and schools should continuously work to develop and manage their systems, as to ensure the safety and security of teachers, students, and parents .

For schools’ WeChat groups and QQ groups, MOE suggested relevant staff:

• Strictly enforce the responsibilities of group admins
• Strictly identify all members in the groups (real-name system)
• Strictly implement group approval and verification systems
• Remove suspicious people

It is recommended that students and parents double-check with schools and teachers before making any purchase. If students or parents do find themselves in a suspicious situation, they should report it to their school, keep relevant evidence and documentation, and promptly report the incident to police.

Photo: unsplash.com, moe.gov.cn