"Recruitment-to-Training" Trap: Upfront Fees Followed by Fake Positions

Who Gets Targeted

Victims are primarily job seekers aged 18 to 28, especially recent graduates and young people with no work experience who are enthusiastic about high-paying AI positions, eager to start quickly, and lack prudent judgment regarding the legitimacy of recruitment channels. Operating under the guise of "probation followed by official hiring," the scam first collects 2,000–3,000 yuan in onboarding training fees or equity investment fees, and then refuses to pay wages under pretexts such as job reassignments or company layoffs, leaving victims with no recourse for refunds. Typical losses range from several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan in cash and several months of time, such as an AI live-streaming sales position scam cracked down by the police involving 120 victims.

骗局怎么运作

• Create replica recruitment company websites, official WeChat accounts, and job postings, using high-paying job titles to attract attention and claiming partnerships with well-known enterprises.
• Incorporate a "probation followed by official hiring" phase in the postings, requiring job seekers to pay an upfront "onboarding training fee" of approximately 2,000–3,000 yuan, or an "equity investment fee" as a retention scheme.
• After payment, issue fake employment notices, probationary "training courses," and "job descriptions," and have job seekers sign contracts promising subsequent monthly salary disbursements.
• Fraudsters then distribute positive updates on WeChat Moments, WeChat groups, and other channels showing "successfully hired" as a background, manufacturing social proof and trust.
• Shortly thereafter, refuse to pay wages under pretexts such as "job reassignments" or "company layoffs," with unclear refund channels, resulting in financial losses for the victims.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Recruitment information uses confusing company names or brands that do not match the company's official website.
• 🚩 Promises high-paying compensation while demanding upfront "onboarding fees," emphasizing "quick start, pay first and receive salary later."
• 🚩 Lacks a clear contract signing page, or the signing process largely relies on informal methods such as QR code payments and WeChat red packets.
• 🚩 Information is frequently pushed at low prices for user acquisition through WeChat groups and WeChat Moments, often promoted via short-video spoken word or live streaming.
• 🚩 Victims are required to make a one-time payment of several thousand yuan, after which "staged payments" or refund proofs are no longer accepted.

真实案例

• On April 16, 2026, the BOSS Zhipin platform publicly disclosed that whistleblower A paid a 2,690 yuan study fee through the platform, was confirmed by Fangfang Company as having passed probation with a monthly salary of up to 8,500 yuan, and was subsequently formally denied salary payment, ultimately suffering a loss of about 15,000 yuan.
• On February 5, 2026, an online recruitment platform in a certain region alerted that user B signed up for an AI comic drama position on the platform, paid a 2,000 yuan training fee, and was told only tuition remained. The platform claimed wages would be disbursed after official hiring. Following an official investigation, the amount involved exceeded 25 million yuan.
• On March 15, 2026, Xinhua News Agency reported that the police cracked down on a five-member gang that utilized an AI automated live-streaming sales position scam to defraud a total of 120 victims, with individual losses amounting to several thousand yuan. Gang members A and B were detained.
• In July 2025, People's Daily reported on a recruitment-to-training scam investigated by the Songjiang Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: under the guise of online remote part-time jobs, a criminal gang published fake high-paying advertisements on short-video platforms and social media, targeting college students and inducing them to pay training fees. After completing the training, they made excuses and failed to provide any part-time order-taking opportunities at all. From late 2023 to February 2024, the Songjiang police conducted operations in batches, capturing a total of 225 criminal suspects. The People's Court of Songjiang District, Shanghai, sentenced the involved individuals to corresponding penalties for the crime of fraud in accordance with the law. (Source: [https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30049746961-500006391703](https://www.peopleapp.com/column/30049746961-500006391703))
• In February 2026, the Supreme People's Court released typical cases on punishing telecommunication and internet fraud: from November 2022 to August 2023, the principal offender and others established Siyue Education Company, falsely claiming cooperation with well-known enterprise platforms to provide stable part-time jobs. They induced job seekers to participate in onboarding training and bundled installment training loans to defraud them of tuition fees. Subsequently established Chengshu Education Company adopted the same model and further defrauded job seekers of over 7 million yuan in tuition fees. The principal offender was sentenced by the court to eleven years and three months in prison for the crime of fraud, and the remaining 8 individuals received prison sentences ranging from ten years and two months to three years. (Source: [https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260226A03KWZ00](https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20260226A03KWZ00))

Official Stance

• May 15, 2026 - Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Cyberspace Administration of China, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security, National Financial Regulatory Administration: Jointly issued a risk alert warning against "recruitment-to-training" and "training loan" job hunting traps, reminding job seekers to guard against recruitment ploys requiring upfront fees before starting work.
• June 9, 2026 - People's Bank of China: Listed recruitment fraud cases involving the "pay-first, work-later" model in an announcement, emphasizing strict regulatory measures.
• February 26, 2026 - Supreme People's Court: Released typical cases, ruling that the "pay-first, get-paid-later" model constitutes fraud, and sentenced the individuals involved to criminal penalties.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before accepting any recruitment information, verify the authenticity of the enterprise's official website and official recruitment platforms, and avoid making payments directly on messaging platforms.
• ✅ Do not easily trust recruitment methods such as "start work first, pay later" or "buy-in equity before earning income." Refuse to pay fees when encountering such situations.
• ✅ Before signing a contract, carefully review the terms to confirm details such as wage disbursement methods, job responsibilities, and training plans. Do not use payment methods that lack refund protection, such as WeChat Pay or Alipay red packets.
• ✅ When encountering suspected fraud, report it promptly to the local human resources and social security bureau, cyberspace administration, or public security organs, and preserve evidence such as chat logs and payment vouchers.