July 19th， according to 36Kr， Li Liang， Vice President of Douyin Group， posted on Weibo stating that with the arrival of summer vacation， a noticeable increase in scam tactics targeting minors has been observed. He advised parents to take some time to familiarize themselves and their children with these fraudulent schemes to enhance their anti-scam awareness.
Recently， Douyin has identified several accounts that have been posting content designed to lure in minors. These include offers such as “graduation gifts of novels and comics，” “post-high school exit gifts of game accounts，” and “invitations to become in-game apprentices with skin rewards.” These specific examples highlight a concerning trend of exploiting children’s interests， particularly in popular online activities like gaming and anime.
These scam accounts typically redirect users to other platforms. Once there， fraudsters impersonate law enforcement personnel， using intimidating tactics such as fabricating investigations or threatening to inform parents if the victim does not comply. The ultimate goal is to coerce the minors into transferring funds， often by using their parents’ mobile phones.
The Douyin Anti-Fraud Center has issued a reminder that enabling the “Minor Mode” on children’s devices is an effective measure against such scams. This feature is crucial for protecting young users who may not yet fully understand the risks associated with online interactions. By restricting certain functionalities， it significantly curtails the avenues through which scammers can operate.
Within the Minor Mode， users are restricted from engaging in social interactions like private messaging， chatting， and commenting. They are also unable to stream live content， watch livestreams， or make in-app purchases and tip performers. This comprehensive restriction is designed to create a safer online environment by limiting exposure to potentially manipulative or fraudulent content and interactions.
Furthermore， Douyin has summarized common scam patterns that parents and children should be aware of. These include impersonating police officers and demanding money under the guise of cooperating with an investigation， falsely accusing minors of fraud and demanding payment， and posing as game streamers to trick children into downloading remote control software. Understanding these specific ploys is vital for preventative action.
