AI Knowledge Paid-Content Low-Price Lead Generation and Loan Induction Scam: From $9.9 Trial Classes to Tens of Thousands in Tuition, Promises of Monetization Fail Completely

Who Gets Targeted

The core victim demographic includes fresh graduates aged 20-35, unemployed youth, entry-level white-collar workers, and retirees or semi-retirees over 55. Younger groups, driven by AI-era skill anxiety and fear of workplace competition, are precisely targeted by scripts promising 'easy monthly income of 10,000' and 'zero-foundation monetization in seven days.' They are often desperate for a controllable path to income and lack the discernment to evaluate AI-packaged concepts. Older groups are attracted by the 'zero-foundation' promise due to information gaps and curiosity about new technology. Most victims have monthly incomes between 3,000 and 8,000 RMB. When faced with refund obstacles, such as restrictive standard terms or unresponsive customer service, they often fall into the sunk-cost fallacy and remain silent, allowing their psychological vulnerabilities to be exploited by the system.

骗局怎么运作

• Organizations run massive ad campaigns on short-video platforms like Douyin and Kuaishou for $9.9 or $39.9 trial classes, using headlines like 'AI Auto-Sales: Earn 10k/Month' or 'Zero-Foundation Monetization in Seven Days.' After clicking, users are funneled into WeChat groups or live trial sessions. Instructors build trust by showing forged backend earnings screenshots and fabricated student transaction records, then pressure participants via one-on-one WeChat messages with scripts like 'Only three internal spots left tonight' and 'Full refund if you can't learn it.'
• After the trial, sales staff pressure users to upgrade by claiming limited spots, promoting 'AI Side-Hustle Full-Stage Bootcamps' ranging from 3,980 to 12,800 RMB. Instructors claim the course includes high-value assets like AI auto-editing, unmanned live-streaming tools, and guaranteed traffic matching, verbally promising full refunds if the student fails to learn. The actual contract is signed with an associated shell company to avoid the training institution's liability, making verbal promises legally untraceable.
• When users express financial difficulty, sales staff guide them to use third-party consumer installment platforms or online loan apps to pay tuition, claiming 'the course earnings will cover the monthly payments, making it zero-cost.' Some institutions have revenue-sharing agreements with installment platforms, earning commissions based on tuition. Once the contract is signed, the cycle is complete. The loan contract is separate from the training contract, meaning victims remain liable for the loan even if they successfully demand a refund, creating a double-lock effect.
• After the course begins, students discover the content is mostly repackaged free public tutorials involving superficial tool usage. The so-called 'auto-sales tools' are actually generic open-source projects or outdated versions. Community management uses bots to copy-paste scripts to create a learning atmosphere, while the core delivery is significantly reduced. Instructor Q&A is extremely rare or handled by assistants, and promised one-on-one support and supply chain matching never materialize.
• After the course ends, the promised traffic and supply chain matching fail to appear, and student earnings are far below the tuition cost. When students request refunds, they are rejected based on standard terms such as 'service has started once the course account is opened,' 'refunds not supported due to personal lack of execution,' or 'exceeding the seven-day no-reason refund period.' After accumulating numerous complaints on platforms like Black Cat and 12315, some institutions dissolve the shell company and rebrand with new names and instructor pseudonyms to start a new cycle of lead generation and upselling.
• In 2026, the scam evolved as instructors introduced buzzwords like 'AI Agents,' 'Private Large Model Deployment,' and 'AI Matrix Unmanned Driving,' blending traditional e-commerce training scripts with AI concepts to make detection even harder. The same team operates multiple brands simultaneously to diversify risk, purchasing fake positive reviews and followers in short-video comment sections to create social proof, forming a highly coordinated gray-market ecosystem.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Claims of 'zero-foundation monthly income over 10k,' 'passive income,' or 'guaranteed returns,' which violate Article 24 of the Advertising Law regarding education and training advertisements prohibiting explicit or implied guarantees of academic or skill-based outcomes.
• 🚩 Displaying unmasked student earnings screenshots and backend transaction records during trial classes or private chats. These screenshots are static, feature round numbers, lack verifiable transaction IDs, and the institution refuses to provide contact information for real, verifiable students.
• 🚩 Using high-pressure tactics like 'only three internal spots left tonight' or 'limited-time upgrade,' and refusing to sign standard course contracts or using a contracting entity that differs from the actual fee-collecting company, indicating shell company isolation.
• 🚩 Recommending third-party consumer installment or online loan platforms due to personal financial difficulty, claiming course earnings will cover monthly payments, and refusing to explain the legal relationship between the loan contract and the training contract.
• 🚩 Course content is available for free on public channels like Bilibili or official documentation; so-called exclusive tools are just generic open-source projects or outdated versions; community Q&A is handled by bots.
• 🚩 Refund terms contain highly restrictive standard clauses, such as 'no refunds if more than 30% of course videos are watched' or 'no refunds for any reason once materials are received,' which exclude core consumer rights.
• 🚩 Instructors frequently use labels like 'former employee of a major model team' or 'technical director of an AI unicorn,' but cannot provide verifiable evidence such as social security records, employment certificates, or public technical resumes.
• 🚩 The institution has accumulated a large number of identical complaints on Black Cat and 12315 platforms without being investigated, or it continues to operate the same course system under a new brand name after changing the company entity.

真实案例

• Case 1: According to a Xinhua News Agency report on March 17, 2026, a fresh graduate was lured into a private community after seeing a $9.9 AI trial ad on a short-video platform, eventually being upsold to a 12,800 RMB full-stage course. Unable to pay, they were guided to use a third-party installment platform for a 12-month payment plan. Later, they found the content was repackaged free online tutorials and were denied a refund for exceeding the seven-day limit. Total loss: 12,800 RMB.
• Case 2: According to a CNR report on March 15, 2026, a woman purchased a 39,800 RMB 'AI Auto-Sales Full-Package Course' from an institution, promised supply chain matching and guaranteed traffic. The course only contained generic AI tool operation videos; the promised supply chain and traffic channels never materialized, and backend sales were in the single digits. Refund requests were denied due to 'lack of personal execution.' The institution was later exposed for having thousands of similar complaints.
• Case 3: According to a Tencent News report on March 20, 2026, a career switcher enrolled in a 6,800 RMB 'AI Operations Engineer' course. The instructor claimed to be a former lead at a major tech firm but provided no verifiable resume. The content was highly repetitive of public blogs, and Q&A was handled by bots. After filing a complaint on Black Cat, the user discovered the institution had over 2,400 similar complaints but continued operating by switching shell companies. The refund was unsuccessful.
• Case 4: According to a Beijing Daily report on March 15, 2026, a developer was guided to pay 9,800 RMB in installments for an 'AI Sales Automation Full-Package' course, with a guaranteed monthly income of over 10,000 RMB. The course only introduced basic AI tools, and the 'auto-sales tool' was a shell of an open-source project. After paying off the 9,800 RMB over 15 months, the developer earned zero income.

Official Stance

• Xinhua News Agency (March 17, 2026): 'Customized Scam Networks, Induced Lending, No Refund Path: Some AI Training Programs Prey on Young People,' exposing the full chain of induced installment loans and false advertising in AI training.
• CNR (March 15, 2026): 'Investigation into AI Auto-Sales Training Chaos: The Harvesting Trap Behind 10k Monthly Income,' systematically analyzing the high-price, low-delivery, and refund-difficulty issues in these programs.
• Nanfang Daily (March 16, 2026): 'Beware of False Advertising and Refund Difficulties in AI Training,' warning against the phenomenon of promised earnings with downgraded delivery and advising consumers to retain evidence for legal protection.
• Tencent News (April 17, 2026): 'Can $9.9 Trial Classes and $39.9 Toolkits Really Lead to 10k Monthly Income? The Reality of AI Online Training,' revealing the full script chain from low-price lead generation to high-price upselling and the gap in actual delivery.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Identify Front-End Signals: If you see AI training ads on short-video or live platforms promising 10k monthly income, zero-foundation guarantees, or passive income, immediately take screenshots as evidence and refuse to purchase. Such claims violate Article 24 of the Advertising Law.
• ✅ Verify Delivery Before Payment: Demand a full course syllabus, tool list, and verifiable real-world student cases. If the institution refuses or only shows blurred screenshots, treat it as a high-risk signal and stop the transaction. Also, verify the instructor's public technical resume.
• ✅ Refuse Installment Loans: Regardless of how strongly the institution recommends third-party consumer installment or online loan platforms, refuse them. Legitimate professional training should support direct corporate transfers and provide official invoices. Installment channels are often linked to revenue-sharing and are a key part of the institution's high-fee collection process.
• ✅ Verify Contracts and Entities: Before signing, verify if the contracting entity matches the actual fee-collecting party. Check the National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System for the entity's status, administrative penalties, and business anomalies. Contracts must include clear refund terms and a quantifiable delivery list.
• ✅ Retain Full-Process Evidence: Keep records of everything from ad clicks, customer service chats, live class screen recordings, payment vouchers, to course content screenshots. A complete chain of evidence is the core basis for complaints and litigation.
• ✅ Centralized Rights Protection: If refunds are blocked, file complaints simultaneously with 12315, Black Cat, and the local Market Supervision Bureau. Initiate chargeback requests with payment and installment platforms. If induced lending is involved, report it to the National Internet Finance Association of China, and if necessary, file a civil lawsuit in a People's Court.