36氪·2025-08-21 13:07Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the rise of investment scams disguised as stock recommendation services, highlighting the experiences of victims and the tactics used by fraudsters to lure investors into losing significant amounts of money [3][6][20]. Group 1: Victim Experiences - Investor Liu reported losing 200,000 yuan after following a scammer known as "the Godfather" for nine months, who promised high returns but ultimately admitted to the fraud [4][5]. - Liu's preliminary statistics indicated over 300 victims from the "Zhongyue Youpei" app, with total losses exceeding 30 million yuan [6]. - Another victim, Mr. Dong, was misled by a scammer posing as a securities consultant, resulting in a loss of 30,000 yuan after being promised high returns through a fake trading platform [9][24]. Group 2: Scam Tactics - The scams often involve long-term engagement with victims, using high return promises and personal guidance to build trust before "harvesting" their investments [12][26]. - Common tactics include using social media and messaging apps to connect with potential victims, presenting themselves as "stock gods" or financial advisors, and creating a false sense of legitimacy [8][11][20]. - Fraudsters frequently employ terms like "insider stocks," "institutional cooperation," and "quantitative trading" to entice investors, while the actual trading activities are fabricated [13][14]. Group 3: Regulatory and Industry Response - Regulatory bodies have issued warnings about the prevalence of such scams, emphasizing that any entity offering paid stock analysis without proper licensing is engaging in illegal activities [28]. - Securities firms have begun to actively monitor and shut down fraudulent websites and apps, with one firm reporting over a thousand fake sites closed in the first half of 2025 [27]. - Experts suggest a multi-faceted approach to combat these scams, including investor education, regulatory enforcement, and enhanced monitoring of online platforms [29].