# Romance and Investment Scams Flourish on Enterprise Platforms A disturbing trend has emerged in China, where sophisticated scammers are co-opting legitimate enterprise communication platforms, most notably **Microsoft Teams**, to conduct elaborate 'pig butchering' scams. These schemes, which combine romance fraud with cryptocurrency investment deception, have reportedly cost victims hundreds of thousands of dollars. One victim, identified as **Zhao** from Beijing, lost over $100,000 after a scammer, posing as a **Microsoft** researcher, lured her from **Xiaohongshu** to **Microsoft Teams**. The scammer provided her with a **Teams** account, exploiting the platform's trusted brand image. "I didn’t think much because I had used this app before. And since it was developed by Microsoft, I kind of trusted it," Zhao stated. Once on **Teams**, the scammer cultivated a romantic relationship while introducing Zhao to a lucrative, albeit fake, cryptocurrency investment project. After she invested heavily, even taking out bank loans, the scammer vanished, along with her funds. Crucially, as the scammer controlled the **Teams** account, Zhao lost access to all chat logs, hindering police investigations. ## A Widespread Problem Zhao's experience is far from isolated. After sharing her story online, she connected with dozens of other victims in China who reported similar patterns, with losses ranging from $1,500 to $300,000. All victims described being instructed to download **Microsoft Teams** and log in using credentials provided by the scammers. This tactic has become so prevalent that some local law enforcement agencies in China have issued explicit warnings, with one even labeling **Teams** a "fraud-related app." **Maimai**, a Chinese professional networking platform, reported last year that it automatically warns users about scams if high-risk keywords like "Teams" and "Skype" are detected in messages. Analysis of **Apple's** Chinese app store reviews for **Teams** over the past 18 months revealed that 30 percent of 500 reviews included explicit complaints about scammers, with the oldest scam-related review dating back to 2022. **Microsoft** acknowledged the issue, stating that scammers routinely exploit trusted brands and platforms for social engineering. **Steven Masada**, global head of **Microsoft's** digital crimes division, affirmed that the company "investigates reports of abuse, takes action against accounts that violate our policies, and continues to strengthen protections designed to identify and disrupt fraudulent activity." In response, **Microsoft** began displaying a general warning banner to **Teams** users in China in June, cautioning against scams. The company also discontinued the personal version of **Teams** in China, making the service exclusively available through enterprise accounts. ## Beyond Teams: Other Platforms Targeted Similar scam variations have been reported on other corporate communication apps, including **Webex** by **Cisco** and **Cliq** by **Zoho**. **WIRED's** analysis found that 71 percent of over 150 **Webex** reviews on **Apple's** Chinese app store since February 2023 referenced scam incidents. **Zoho** spokesperson **Sam Wunderl** confirmed "a limited number of instances involving scammers using **Zoho Cliq**." **Zoho** has since disabled online payments for **Cliq** in China, suspended suspected scammer accounts, and plans to discontinue the free version of **Cliq** in the region. ## Why Enterprise Apps? The appeal of **Microsoft Teams** and similar platforms for fraudsters in China is multifaceted. Unlike apps such as **Telegram** or **WhatsApp**, they are not blocked by the government. They also offer advanced features like screen sharing and remote control, potentially giving scammers greater leverage over victims' devices. Crucially, their association with reputable multinational tech companies lends them an air of legitimacy. **Tan Chenxin**, a Chinese software engineer in New York, nearly fell victim to a scam involving **Webex**. "I looked up **Webex** and found that it was developed by **Cisco**, a world-leading cybersecurity software provider," Tan explained. "I happen to know what **Cisco** is, so I convinced myself it was fine." Compared to Chinese messaging apps like **WeChat** and **Xiaohongshu**, which have implemented robust scam detection and warning systems for years, Western platforms appear to have been less prepared for the scale of these investment fraud schemes. These Chinese platforms frequently flag suspicious keywords related to investments and payments, even in private conversations, offering a level of user protection that some Western counterparts are only now beginning to implement.