AI Pre-Employment Training & Referral Fee Scam - The High-Salary Trap of Paying First and Disappearing

Who Gets Targeted

The primary victims are recent college graduates and career switchers aged 20 to 35, with multiple similar cases reported in places like Beijing, predominantly from non-technical backgrounds such as the humanities. Having limited job-hunting experience, narrow channels for industry information, and high employment anxiety, they easily fall for promotions promising 'zero-based AI learning, guaranteed employment, and a monthly salary exceeding 10,000 yuan.' They also struggle to judge whether 'pre-employment training fees' are reasonable and often gamble on paying upfront after being deliberately belittled by the scammers regarding their capabilities. Losses are mainly through cash transfers and training loans, with individual defrauded amounts ranging from 2,000 yuan to 24,800 yuan. After paying, victims are often blocked and left with no way to get a refund, with some burdened by debt even before starting a job (media estimates pending independent verification).

骗局怎么运作

• Scammers first post 'AI High-Salary Job Express Lane' information on social media, recruitment websites, or WeChat groups, claiming that internal recommendations and jobs can be obtained simply by paying a training fee. Common persuasive pitches include 'limited slots, pay after employment, and full-process guidance';
• After clicking the link, victims enter a landing page disguised as a legitimate training institution, which displays forged qualification certificates, success stories, and celebrity mentor videos to enhance credibility. Subsequently, customer service appears in the chat box, proactively demanding 'training fees ranging from 2,000 to 10,000 yuan' and pushing forward under the pretext of 'paying first, issuing the contract later';
• Upon payment, the platform provides a set of online courses or teaching materials that are of poor quality and irrelevant to job requirements, or even entirely plagiarized or AI-generated fake materials. Scammers continuously press for additional fees under excuses such as 'slow course progress, need for remedial lessons,' citing charges like 'tool fees, Q&A fees, and employment security deposits';
• Meanwhile, the so-called 'internal referral channel' is merely a fabricated WeChat or QQ group where victims are required to post recruitment information and pull in new members, forming a so-called 'referral' chain that is actually just headhunting to earn small commissions;
• When victims repeatedly urge the scammers to deliver the promised job or refund their money, the scammers begin to vanish, deleting accounts or blocking victims, or even impersonating platform customer service to request bank account details for a 'refund,' which in reality is a tactic to further steal funds from the victims.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Promotions featuring unrealistic earnings promises such as 'learn AI with zero foundation and make 100,000 a month';
• 🚩 Payment methods limited strictly to online transfers, WeChat, or Alipay, lacking formal invoices or contracts;
• 🚩 The official website domain of the training institution inconsistent with the actual landing page domain, or complete absence of filing/registration information;
• 🚩 Requirements to join unfamiliar WeChat or QQ groups for 'internal recommendations' and collecting additional 'newcomer recruitment fees' through them;
• 🚩 The platform or customer service immediately redirecting or closing communication channels and using vague responses to shirk responsibility when victims request refunds

真实案例

• In March 2026, a recent graduate named Jia saw an advertisement for an 'AI Comic Storyboard Artist High-Salary Position' on the BOSS Zhipin platform. After paying a training fee of 2,690 yuan, they only received low-quality video editing courses worth about 200 yuan. Subsequently, they were asked to pay a '500 yuan employment security deposit' before contact was lost, resulting in a total loss of about 3,190 yuan;
• In April 2026, Yi joined an 'AI Recruitment Internal Referral Group' on social media and paid an 'internal referral fee of 3,000 yuan' as requested. The platform then continuously demanded funds under the pretext of 'slow course progress requiring makeup tool fees,' leading to a total of nearly 12,000 yuan defrauded within two months;
• In June 2026, a training syndicate organized online interviews under the guise of 'AI pre-employment internships' and collected 'networking/facilitation fees' of 2,690 yuan, without actually providing any internship opportunities. After the police cracked down on the operation, approximately 25 million yuan in illicit funds was seized, with over a hundred people involved.

Official Stance

• Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Security, National Financial Regulatory Administration, 2026-05-15, issued 'Risk Warning on "Recruitment-to-Training" and "Training Loans"' (Source: [http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202605/16/content_30157152.html](http://paper.people.com.cn/rmrb/pc/content/202605/16/content_30157152.html))
• Supreme People's Court, 2026-02-26, released 'Typical Cases of People's Courts Punishing Telecom Network Fraud and Other Property-Infringing Crimes According to Law' (Source: [https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/490051.html](https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/490051.html))

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Before enrolling in any online training, be sure to verify whether the institution holds a legitimate business license and a Ministry of Education filing number. Check directly on the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System, focusing on whether training qualifications are included in the business scope, and search for any student complaints or exposés;
• ✅ If the other party demands upfront payment without providing a written contract, formal invoice, or clear refund policy, refuse immediately and report it to the police for record-keeping;
• ✅ Avoid joining unfamiliar recruitment referral WeChat or QQ groups, especially those requiring payment before entering the group;
• ✅ If payment has already been made, preserve chat logs and transfer receipts, report the incident promptly to local public security organs, and cooperate with the investigation;
• ✅ Keep an eye on official risk warnings published by organizations such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Education, and regularly check whether the training program you enrolled in is on the list.