AI-Driven Mass Outbound Automated Calls Impersonating Customer Service for Refund and Claim Scams: AI Systems Make Over 1,000 Precision Intimidation and Refund Inducement Calls Daily

Who Gets Targeted

The primary victims are ordinary consumers who have recently made online shopping purchases, especially middle-aged and elderly individuals or populations in lower-tier markets who are unfamiliar with courier claim processes. Accustomed to obeying instructions from authority figures, their guard instantly collapses upon hearing accurately recited order details. Psychological vulnerabilities include an eager mindset to recover accidental losses, a lack of calm thinking space when faced with continuous automated AI pressure, and unfamiliarity with technical risks such as screen sharing. They easily follow instructions in a state of panic to enter verification codes and passwords, ultimately being induced to transfer funds or even take out online loans.

骗局怎么运作

• Data Preparation and Script Configuration: Fraud syndicates purchase leaked e-commerce and courier order data through illegal grey-market channels, then import customized scripts containing victims' real information into AI outbound platforms. The system uses speech recognition based on victims' responses to automatically match subsequent script logic, significantly reducing manual answering costs and increasing scam realism.
• Mass Automated Outbound Calls to Breach Defenses: Utilizing AI voice systems to conduct carpet-bombing outbound calls, a single device or system can make thousands or even 1,500 calls per day, far exceeding the work efficiency of traditional human customer service. Through low per-call costs, syndicates cast a wide net to filter out potential victims hesitant about claims or product issues for secondary follow-up.
• Impersonating Official Customer Service and Precision Claim Bait: Once connected, the AI customer service uses highly simulated human-sounding voice to claim to be a well-known e-commerce or courier company's claims center, accurately reciting the victim's purchased product name, purchase time, and tracking number. Under the pretext of formaldehyde exceeding standards, transit damage/loss, or operational errors requiring membership cancellation, it proactively promises double compensation or refund cancellation.
• Inducing the Download of Conference Software and Enabling Screen Sharing: Once the victim is hooked, under the pretext that the refund channel requires account verification, the AI customer service sends text messages with disguised links, inducing the victim to download third-party conference apps with screen-sharing functions or so-called exclusive claims apps. Once sharing is enabled, scammers can monitor every step of the victim's phone operations in real-time.
• Intercepting Verification Codes to Harvest Funds: Under screen-sharing status, scammers induce victims to perform refund tests or transaction flow fund verification operations in mobile banking or online lending platforms, secretly recording entered bank card numbers and payment passwords. Simultaneously, the backend intercepts dynamic SMS verification codes in real-time, rapidly completing fund transfers, leaving victim card balances drained or burdened with heavy online loan debts.

红旗信号（看到这些快跑）

• 🚩 Unofficial Numbers with Precise Order Details: Incoming call numbers are not official customer service lines of e-commerce platforms or courier companies, yet they accurately recite private information such as your online shopping product details, recipient name, and phone number.
• 🚩 Proactive Double Compensation and Refund Guidance: Proactively offering double claims or high compensation amounts without warning, and urgently rushing you to cooperate according to specific steps, otherwise the compensation will become void or affect your credit score.
• 🚩 Demanding Transactions Outside Regular Platforms: Explicitly requiring victims to click on unknown links attached in text messages, download apps not listed in official app stores, or add private social media accounts for subsequent claims processes.
• 🚩 Screen Sharing and Withdrawal Code Requests: Requiring mobile phone screen sharing during the claims process, or demanding absolute sensitive payment credentials such as bank card passwords and dynamic SMS verification codes under the pretext of verification channels.
• 🚩 Inducing Borrowing or Transfer Tests: When the victim's account balance is insufficient, maliciously inducing them to download online lending platforms to withdraw funds to bank cards for fund verification, while actually stealing this newly borrowed loan along the way.

真实案例

• In April 2026, according to Xinhua News Agency, a woman received a call from someone claiming to be an AI customer service agent of a well-known courier company. The caller accurately recited her online skincare product order and stated it was lost in transit, requiring double compensation. Under inducement, she downloaded the designated screen-sharing app, entered her bank card password and verification code, and subsequently had 50,000 yuan instantly transferred from her card.
• According to disclosures by CCTV News and public reports, a fraud syndicate used an AI outbound system to conduct carpet-bombing calls, reaching over 1,500 calls per day. Victim A received a precision claims call, mistakenly believed the script that the refund channel was closing and required account verification, and leaked the SMS verification code, resulting in a total of 120,000 yuan in savings across two bank cards being transferred away.
• A consumer received an AI outbound call claiming to be an e-commerce platform claims center, stating that an induction cooker they purchased had quality issues requiring recall and refund. After enabling screen sharing, the consumer followed instructions to borrow 30,000 yuan on an online lending platform, which was completely transferred away by scammers under the pretext of proving credit flow, resulting in a total loss of over 80,000 yuan.
• In December 2025, Ms. Li in Dantu, Zhenjiang received an outbound call from someone claiming to be courier customer service, stating her package was damaged and required a compensation of 24.9 yuan. She was then induced to add contact details, download a chat app, and enable screen sharing. Posing as a customer service manager, the fraudster claimed that bank card insurance binding would automatically deduct fees if not cancelled, carrying out theft through 5 Alipay Huabei purchases of cameras totaling 69,435 yuan. Ms. Li promptly reported the case to the Urban Police Station of the Dantu Branch of Zhenjiang Public Security Bureau. Police assisted in contacting the platform to intercept the order, and all funds were refunded to her account the next day. (Source: [https://www.yangtse.com/news/sh/202512/t20251216_300814.html](https://www.yangtse.com/news/sh/202512/t20251216_300814.html))
• In August 2026, Ms. Liu, a resident of Changsha, received an outbound call from someone impersonating a courier. The caller accurately stated her online shopping product details and, under the pretext that a lost package entitled her to triple compensation, induced her to scan a QR code to contact so-called official customer service and enable mobile screen sharing. They attempted to log into multiple bank cards in her name to remotely transfer over 1,000,000 yuan from her bank and pension accounts. Police officers and auxiliary police from the Muyun Police Station of the Tianxin Branch of Changsha Public Security Bureau arrived in a timely manner, assisted in forced shutdown, and urgently reported all bank cards lost, successfully preserving over 1,000,000 yuan without loss. (Source: [https://hunan.sina.cn/news/2026-08-17/detail-ininqtns0317301.d.html](https://hunan.sina.cn/news/2026-08-17/detail-ininqtns0317301.d.html))

Official Stance

• On April 28, 2026, Xinhua News Agency published 'Xinhua Investigation | Beware of AI Customer Service Phone Scams', pointing out that recent abuse of AI voice technology has not only been used for malicious marketing harassment but has evolved into precision telecom fraud, reminding consumers to be wary of proactive claims and verify identities.
• In 2026, public security organs in multiple regions issued emergency warnings: silent stranger calls hide traps, using AI cloned voiceprints to commit fraud. Police emphasized that the efficiency of AI outbound systems is accelerating the large-scale spread of telecom fraud, and identities must be verified through official channels.
• In 2026, the National Anti-Fraud Center released setup guidelines for app incoming call warnings, explicitly warning that any request to leave regular e-commerce platforms for refunds and claims, accompanied by demands to download third-party conference software or enable screen sharing, constitutes typical fraudulent behavior.

How to Protect Yourself

• ✅ Resolutely Verify Through Official Channels: Hang up directly on refund and claims calls, open the official e-commerce or courier app yourself to check order statuses, or proactively call the official customer service hotline printed on the packaging box to verify, without easily trusting any proactive incoming calls.
• ✅ Refuse Screen Sharing and Verification Code Requests: No legitimate refund or claims process will require consumers to download third-party apps to enable screen sharing, nor will they ask for bank card passwords and SMS verification codes. Encountering such requests means immediate blacklisting and reporting to the police.
• ✅ Enable Carrier Anti-Harassment Interception and Anti-Fraud Warnings: Turn on the phone's built-in high-frequency harassment blocking feature, install and register with real-name verification on the National Anti-Fraud Center App, and enable incoming call warnings and SMS detection features to filter high-frequency AI outbound numbers.
• ✅ Protect Order Privacy to Prevent Information Leaks: Obliterate or destroy courier waybill information before discarding packaging boxes, refuse to leave personal identity and shipping details on unknown third-party platforms or links, and cut off the information supply for precision scams from the source.