Scammers infiltrated three class WeChat groups at a Zhengzhou medical school by scanning a publicly posted QR code, impersonated the homeroom teacher, and defrauded 33 parents of 9,108 yuan under false pretenses of health check and insurance fees.

Social Context

QR code phishing attacks exploit China’s reliance on WeChat for school communication—despite the Ministry of Education’s 2022 mandate requiring dual-verification (e.g., SMS + QR) for fee collection. Schools face liability under the Cybersecurity Law for inadequate platform vetting and parent notification protocols.

Safety Tip

Schools must publish QR codes only via verified official accounts with watermarking; parents should confirm fee requests via direct phone call to teachers—not through chat messages.