AI Comic Drama Mini-Program Recharge Scam: Luring Users with 0.1 Yuan Initial Payments Followed by Layered Paywalls

Who Gets Targeted

The victims are primarily ordinary users attracted by comic drama plots while scrolling through short videos, mostly office workers, students, and middle-aged/elderly users. They are initially drawn by extremely low entry barriers, such as a 0.1 yuan first-time recharge or a 9.9 yuan three-day trial, hoping to finish a binge-worthy drama for a small fee. Subsequently, they are prompted to pay again at the end of every episode, unknowingly accumulating charges ranging from tens to hundreds of yuan. Another group of victims includes side-hustle beginners looking to enter the industry, who are lured by claims of 'earning thousands per day' into buying production courses or franchise systems, only to find the tools are publicly available free solutions and refunds are impossible. The common psychological weakness of both groups is loss aversion and the sunk cost fallacy—having watched 90% of the plot, they are unwilling to give up on the final episodes; having already paid a small amount, they feel embarrassed to seek a refund for a few yuan. Scammers exploit this structure where the cost of seeking a refund exceeds the individual loss to harvest victims in bulk.

骗局怎么运作

• Step 1: Batch Content Production: Teams use AI tools to convert web novels into comic drama videos with one click, keeping costs extremely low while producing dozens of clips daily. They market this as an 'AI goldmine' with zero entry barriers, though most content lacks authorization from the original novels, piggybacking on popular themes and celebrity likenesses, setting the stage for eventual shutdowns and disappearances.
• Step 2: Algorithmic Customer Acquisition: Comic drama clips are pushed via information feeds on Douyin and Video Accounts, where platform algorithms target interested users. Videos are intentionally cut at plot climaxes, with pop-ups guiding users to click to generate the full story or watch the ending, funneling public traffic into private mini-programs.
• Step 3: Low-Barrier Icebreaking: After clicking, users see options like a 0.1 yuan first-time purchase or a 9.9 yuan three-day trial, minimizing their defensive decision-making. The payment process often includes pre-checked boxes for auto-renewal or authorization for password-free payments, which many users fail to notice.
• Step 4: Layered Paywalls: The initial recharge only unlocks the first few episodes. Afterward, users must pay again every one or two episodes, priced per episode or via virtual currency. The actual cost to watch a full series is often dozens or even hundreds of times the initial price, and remaining balances can only be used on the platform and cannot be withdrawn.
• Step 5: High-Level Monetization and Exit: Some teams recruit students and agents, charging thousands to tens of thousands of yuan in franchise or authorization fees, promising daily earnings of thousands and official IP authorization. After collecting these fees, they delay content delivery and degrade service quality, eventually rebranding the mini-program, cutting off customer service, and deregistering the business entity, making funds unrecoverable.
• Step 6: Rebranding Cycle: Once banned or heavily reported, the same team relaunches the same model under a new registered entity and mini-program name. Since the plots and templates are AI-replicable, the cost of rebranding is near zero, forming an indestructible, cyclical harvesting loop.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Content is forcibly interrupted at a climax, redirecting to an external mini-program for payment without a clearly priced total for unlocking the entire series.
• 🚩 Uses 0.1 yuan first-time recharges or 9.9 yuan three-day trials as an entry point, with payment pages defaulting to auto-renewal or password-free payment, and no easy way to cancel.
• 🚩 Claims exclusive IP authorization without providing any proof, and fails to present formal authorization documents from the novel's copyright holder or platform.
• 🚩 Promises daily earnings of thousands, a return on investment within seven days, and guaranteed profits when recruiting franchisees, while pressuring users to pay to lock in a spot.
• 🚩 The payment recipient is a recently registered individual business or shell company that does not match the platform brand name advertised.
• 🚩 Customer service is only available via personal WeChat, with no formal invoices, no written contracts, and refund policies that are vague or explicitly state that virtual goods are non-refundable.

真实案例

• In January 2026, the National Radio and Television Administration launched a month-long special campaign to govern the chaos of AI-modified video dissemination, focusing on clearing unauthorized adaptations of the Four Great Classical Novels and historical themes. Many AI comic drama accounts and mini-programs that relied on paid unlocking were shut down or rebranded during this period.
• In March 2026, during the 'Two Sessions,' Zhou Yuan, founder of Zhihu, submitted a proposal regarding AI comic drama infringement, pointing out that the speed of AI-generated infringement far exceeds the speed of rights protection. This reflects that the content of many paid comic drama mini-programs is in a legal gray area, and the platforms where consumers recharge may be taken down at any time due to copyright complaints, leaving purchased content inaccessible.
• In the first half of 2026, multiple users on the 'Smzdm' platform exposed AI comic drama scams: one user was lured by a 0.1 yuan first-time recharge and ended up spending hundreds of yuan to finish a series, with the platform refusing refunds on the grounds that they were virtual goods. Another beginner spent thousands on an 'AI comic drama production system,' only to find it was a package of publicly available free tools, after which the seller disappeared.
• In April 2026, a comic drama practitioner on Bilibili released a video titled 'Don't Get Scammed by AI Comic Dramas,' revealing that some teams in the industry harvest newcomers by selling franchises and authorization fees ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of yuan. After taking the money, they delay delivery citing technical upgrades or IP processes, eventually blocking the customer. The video received thousands of views and resonated with many other victims.
• In August 2026, a man in Suzhou saw an 'AI Comic Drama' course ad on Kuaishou and contacted customer service. Lured by the promise of 'zero-foundation AI comic drama learning and easy monthly income over 10,000 yuan,' he was induced to pay for courses and tool fees, ultimately losing 11,406 yuan. The Wuxi Public Security Bureau issued a warning, noting that such scams typically involve four steps: casting a wide net with ads, packaging to lure victims, setting traps to control operations, and disappearing after the harvest. (Source: https://ga.wuxi.gov.cn/doc/2026/09/17/4832504.shtml)
• In January 2026, Ms. Wang (pseudonym) from Xiaochang, Hubei, received a message while scrolling through short videos claiming she could earn 50 to 100 yuan per hour watching short dramas, with daily pay and no deposit required. She was guided to download a so-called 'Heisu' app to perform 'brushing' tasks, and ended up paying 23 orders via Alipay, ranging from 500 to 1,000 yuan each, totaling 15,372.2 yuan in losses. The scammers refused to refund her, claiming she had to complete all orders first. This case was reported by Xiaochang Public Security and published by the Hubei Daily client. (Source: https://news.hubeidaily.net/pc/c_5060114.html)

Official Stance

• On January 12, 2026, the National Radio and Television Administration announced a month-long special campaign starting January 1, 2026, to govern the chaos of AI-modified video dissemination, focusing on clearing AI-generated content that violates regulations by adapting classic works, historical themes, and heroic figures.
• In March 2026, during the 'Two Sessions,' multiple representatives and committee members submitted proposals regarding the copyright of AI-generated content and consumer rights protection, calling for stronger regulation of the authorization chains and payment mechanisms of new content products like AI comic dramas.
• Since 2026, the China Consumers Association and local consumer protection committees have continuously warned: beware of short video mini-program payment traps that use 0.1 yuan recharges as bait to activate continuous automatic deductions. Consumers are advised to regularly check their payment apps for signed deduction agreements.
• Starting in April 2026, platforms like Douyin and WeChat strengthened audits of AI-generated content and short drama mini-programs in accordance with regulatory requirements, imposing traffic restrictions or removing accounts and mini-programs that engage in unauthorized adaptations or induce payments.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before recharging, demand to see the total price and number of episodes for the entire series. Avoid mini-programs that unlock by episode with vague pricing, and prioritize platforms that offer a 7-day no-reason refund policy.
• ✅ Carefully read authorization agreements during payment and cancel any pre-checked auto-renewal boxes. After payment, immediately check and disable suspicious signed agreements in your payment app's password-free or auto-deduction list.
• ✅ When encountering advertisements for AI comic drama production systems or IP franchise opportunities, verify the company's business registration, software copyrights, and original IP authorization documents. Refuse any transaction involving personal WeChat payments or high-pressure sales tactics.
• ✅ Keep records of recharges, chat screenshots, and promotional promises. If scammed, file complaints with the 12315 platform, Black Cat Complaint, and the payment channel. If the amount reaches the threshold for a criminal case, report it to the economic investigation department of the public security bureau.
• ✅ Beginners interested in AI content creation should first self-study using publicly available free tools. Be wary of any paid courses promising fixed returns, and treat promises of 'guaranteed profits' or 'daily earnings of thousands' as the most direct red flag of a scam.