Core Viewpoint - The rise of illegal financial intermediaries posing as legitimate service providers has become a significant threat to financial consumers, necessitating urgent action to protect consumer rights and maintain financial order [1][2][5]. Group 1: Common Scams - The article identifies four prevalent scams perpetrated by illegal financial intermediaries, including loan intermediary scams, insurance claim fraud, credit repair lies, and malicious debt evasion tactics [2][3][4]. - Loan intermediary scams often involve promises of low-interest, unsecured loans, leading consumers to pay fees without receiving the promised funds [2]. - Insurance claim fraud involves misleading advertisements that encourage consumers to use non-official channels for claims, often resulting in identity theft [3]. - Credit repair scams claim to erase negative credit history for a fee, but typically fail to deliver on these promises [2][3]. Group 2: Money Traps - The article outlines three main tactics used by illegal financial intermediaries to exploit consumers: verbal traps, contract confusion, and information trafficking [4]. - Verbal traps leverage consumers' lack of knowledge about legitimate financial processes, using misleading language to gain trust [4]. - Contract confusion arises from hidden clauses and complex agreements that disadvantage consumers [4]. - Information trafficking involves selling personal data for illegal activities, further endangering consumers [4]. Group 3: Consumer Protection Measures - Financial consumers are advised to seek services from legitimate channels and verify the identity and qualifications of financial intermediaries through official resources [5][6]. - Consumers should be cautious of unsolicited financial offers and protect their personal information from unauthorized platforms [6]. - Regulatory bodies emphasize that legitimate financial institutions do not charge fees before loan disbursement, and any requests for upfront payments should be treated as potential scams [7].