How cybercriminals plot to rob a target in a week

Sinopec did not return a request for comment about whether it was aware of being identified in any scam manuals or if it had received any complaints. 

Once all the details are in place, the scammer is ready to reach out to a target.

Making contact

The first day’s instructions contain a word-for-word script.

“Hello! My name is XXX, nice to meet you!”

The scammer asks questions to gauge whether the target has been previously defrauded and to assess their interest in investments.

Then it’s time for the first phone call, which is an opportunity to start building the relationship by sharing “emotional experiences”, the manual says.

Adapting to the target

The Chinese handbook instructs its reader to adapt their approach to the target’s personality.

It shows how scammers probe for circumstances – divorce, or an interest in making money quickly – that may make the target more approachable, said Dove.

“Everybody’s vulnerable. You just need to meet the right scam at the right time.”

A key part of the con as described in both manuals involves mimicking the target’s interests and language, while showering them with attention. 

The script in the Chinese manual instructs its reader to send “daily greetings” to show care, and “make the client fall in love” with the persona. 

Give the target small tasks to do, so that they begin to take instructions, the manual says. 

The bilingual manual has similar prompts:

Beth Hyland, who was targeted by a love scam in late 2023, said some of the techniques in the manuals, which were shared with her by a reporter, echoed the tactics she fell victim to.

Reuters couldn’t independently ascertain if the individual she was scammed by was familiar with either handbook. 

The then-52-year-old was online dating for the first time after a divorce when she met “Richard” on Tinder. 

A Tinder spokesperson told Reuters it has a zero-tolerance policy for fraud and is “constantly monitoring our platform to detect and remove any suspicious profiles”. The spokesperson added that the company uses AI tools to help warn users of potential scams.

Hyland said “Richard” described himself as a French construction project manager and drew her in with compliments and chats about spirituality.

“He knew how to move fast without suffocating me, without coming on too strong,” said Hyland. 

Within weeks, they were engaged.

Speed is key: the Chinese handbook is intended to enable a scam in as little as seven days. The two former workers in scam compounds told Reuters that they also worked off scripts for seven-day scams. 

By the second day, the scammer should be talking about his interest in investments, that manual says. By Day 5, he should try to establish a romantic relationship. And by the seventh, he should have introduced a fake investment platform for the target to put money into.

The bilingual handbook similarly emphasizes that the scammer should quickly enmesh themselves in the target’s life. 

The reader should drop a target by the end of the third day if the victim is slow to respond, says the 13-page manual, whose title was partially obscured by a waterstain.

That manual, which instructs the scammer to pose as a woman, references contacting male targets at certain times of the day in Brazil. 

Brazilian Federal Police declined to comment when asked if they were aware of an instruction manual being used to conduct scams on its citizens, citing ongoing investigations. 

A lawyer for Cassandra Ong, the registered representative of the compound where the bilingual handbook was found, said he was not aware of the manual’s existence. Ong, who is a fugitive from charges of human trafficking, denies the allegations, he said.

Executing the scam

The Chinese manual features answers to common questions that may be raised by wary targets, including “why do you like me?”

The answer: “Because I feel good chatting with you, I really cherish this connection.”

The schemes sometimes involve multiple scammers talking to the same target according to the bilingual manual and interviews with the two former scam workers.

That manual directs the scammer to hand over to a senior Chinese worker when the victim starts talking about their finances. The document does not state what role the Chinese national plays, but one of the scam workers said a team leader often took over when a victim was about to transfer funds. He did not specify why.

After about six weeks of conversation, ‘Richard’ duped Hyland into sending him $26,000 via cryptocurrency to pay an emergency travel fee. 

As she was on the verge of sending another $50,000 for what she was told was an activation fee to unlock millions of dollars in funds, her financial advisor warned her she was in the depths of a “classic romance fraud”.