Criminal Bureau warns of high risk in modular investment scams; victims should beware.

Recently, investment articles centered around the theme of "modular artisan-style trading" have been appearing frequently across major online social networking platforms. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) has officially issued a warning, reminding the public not to fall for this type of scam. The so-called "modular artisan-style trading" refers to the use of pre-designed modular content paired with seemingly authentic daily life details to create a professional, "artisan-like" persona. This is used to build trust and affinity with victims, subsequently guiding them to invest funds. These articles typically feature narratives such as "I only spend a few minutes a day, yet I have already gained substantial returns," accompanied by a large amount of fictionalized emotional daily life anecdotes to increase persuasiveness.

In its announcement, the CIB pointed out that the core of these investment scam articles consists of four content modules: first, fictional personal investment experiences; second, daily details oriented toward emotional resonance; third, the excessive exaggeration and guarantee of investment products; and fourth, inducement-based calls to action (such as "click the link immediately"). The combination of these modules makes the articles highly persuasive on both visual and emotional levels, easily giving netizens unfamiliar with investment knowledge a false sense of security. The CIB also noted that these scam syndicates often publish simultaneously across multiple social platforms and utilize short videos, live streaming, and other formats to spread rapidly.

To effectively curb this type of scam, the CIB listed several anti-fraud principles in its warning. The foremost is "do not invest funds"; second is "verify the legitimacy of the investment entity," including checking announcements from securities regulatory agencies or the Financial Supervisory Commission; third is "be vigilant against phrases promising guaranteed returns"; and finally, "if in doubt, report to the police or financial regulatory authorities immediately." The CIB also called on the public to verify the sources of similar investment information beforehand and maintain rational judgment.

The societal impact of this type of investment scam cannot be underestimated. Beyond direct financial losses, victims often experience psychological stress due to a loss of trust, which can even affect their willingness to participate in legitimate investment opportunities. More importantly, this emotion-driven scam model has formed a certain "pop culture" phenomenon on social platforms, causing more people to blindly follow the trend because they "see others succeeding," thereby further expanding the pool of potential victims. If left unchecked, it will cause long-term damage to the normal operation of financial markets and public trust in online information.

To reduce the incidence of such scams, in addition to supervision by police and financial regulatory authorities, platform operators should also strengthen content moderation and risk warnings. When using social platforms, the public should cultivate usage habits of "cross-verifying from multiple sources, clicking less, and avoiding easy forwarding." When encountering similar investment promotions, the safest approach is to consult family, friends, or professionals before deciding whether to invest. Only through the joint efforts of all sectors of society can the public's property safety be effectively protected, and the health and transparency of the online information environment be maintained.