When GuangZhou resident, let’s call her Ling, answered her phone on Thursday she was instantly suspicious. On the other end of the wire a police officer explained that her identification card had been used in a scam in Nanjing and they needed a statement.

“What are you talking about?! I don’t believe you,” Ling said to the officer. “I understand. Check the number, call it and verify it by calling,” replied the alleged officer. The number showing on her caller ID began with 020-110, the area code for the local police station. And this is where the con-man inoculates the victim into his confidence.

Now local police stations, after becoming aware of Ling’s case have released a warning to Guangzhou citizens. They report that the police department will not make inquiries, official or otherwise using a number starting with the 110 code.

The number is in fact the number used for emergency calls throughout china, adding Guangzhou’s 020-area code to reach the local police branches, but it is for incoming calls only.

So in this modern technological age citizens must be wary of all questionable stories. The common armoring-advice from experts is to never give out sensitive financial information over phone lines. Officials will never, for any reason, ask for pertinent numbers, such as personal IDs, credit cards or bank account numbers.

Though this sounds like good common sense, for the responsible, trusting citizen it is not quite as simple as it sounds.

Con-men work off of two main initiatives: confidence and intimidation. So using computer software, scammers replicated the Guangzhou police code to call Ling, and when she rightly questioned his intentions the con was able to gain her confidence.

The voice told Ling that he was Officer Wang Ting, badge #201069. He confirmed her name and even had her correct ID number. According to him, two warning letters had been sent to her address beckoning her to Nanjing to prove her innocence on charges that she had been complicit in a scam that duped Nanjing citizens out of 2.5 million RMB.

Introducing part two of the con, the voice insisted that she allow him to transfer her to Nanjing’s Economic Criminal Department where she would be prompted to give her case number.

Here, playing on the fear of any hard working soul, a man posing as Officer ZhouQiang Badge# 106869, reached at Nanjing’s 025-110 number, explained that 5:00 that day was the deadline to appear for her official statement, which could be the saving grace in a case that he intimidated her into believing she was culpable.

Once again in an effort to gain her confidence partner number two in the scam befriended Ling by leading her through possible fixes to the situation. “Can you get on a flight, make it here by 5:00,” he said. “This report will go a long way toward proving your innocence. It will show that you are cooperative.”

In a volley of emotions, the partner warned her of another player -”The Judge.”

Unfortunately, he told her, policies were already in process and that she should hold on the line while the judge handling the case passed arbitration on the deadline infraction. So in the background she heard very official sounding listings of information including her ID, that had been thrown around throughout the 90 minutes worth of phone calls more than a pennant at a ball game.

To Ling’s horror and disgust “The Judge” had decided that her assets were to be frozen until such time that the case was completed.

Back again to the friendly public servant, the partner advised her to call “The Judge.” If she could only charm him with kindness and respect there may just yet be a happy ending.

Taking the advice she made the call, the final play. Now emotionally strained from the weathering of hours of phone calls and confusion, Ling was patronized by a man explaining that due to the fact that only 350,000 RMB had been recovered and that there were likely accomplices stilling hiding behind every shadow her personal savings would be audited by the CBRC, or the China Banking Regulatory Convention. Meaning, of course, that she wouldn’t be able to touch it for 18 months.

However, the benevolent judge deemed Ling worthy of the mercy that could be found in only one place – The National Anti Money-laundering Center Inventory Account. All she had to do was transfer all of her saving into account number blah, blah, blah and all her troubles would disappear. Safely returned when this mess was all over.

And here is the weakness of the conman.

Greed heightened Ling’s uncertainty, after “The Judge” bade her swear to tell no one of the deal and asked repeatedly if she thought she could handle this by herself.

Guangzhou police say that this is often the downfall of these criminals. They can speak from the shadows all they want, but in the end, in these types of cases, they must use a bank account. A move that delegitimizes hours of flashy talk. The best thing to do when in doubt is to call the police, who were more than happy to help Ling.