Hold Your Alipay Small Bag! This Operation Must Be Careful......

Beijing Business News (Reporter Liu Sihong) Do you know about small bags? This is a function provided by Alipay, allowing users to put money into different "small bags" for specific purposes and classification management. Each "small bag" has its own independent account and can be used separately without affecting other accounts. Users can also set limits on expenditures.

This is a function that allows you to save with friends, family, or loved ones together. However, recently some scammers have targeted small bags, resulting in many consumers being deceived.

According to Suzhou's Anti-Telecommunications Fraud Center, citizen Li Ming (a pseudonym) saw an advertisement on a short video platform claiming that it could help him open an Alipay "XX loan" business. Desperate for cash, he contacted the person and was asked to deposit 3,000 yuan into his Alipay account before setting up the small bag function. He then added the stranger as a friend and allowed them to join his small bag.

However, Li Ming did not know about the small bag function and followed the stranger's instructions to set them up as the administrator. The stranger then asked Li Ming to open the "daily savings" function without considering the potential risks. Li Ming thought it was a good idea and went along with it, but the stranger used their administrative powers to transfer all of Li Ming's money out of his small bag.

The police are currently investigating this case. In response to such situations, Beijing Business News reporter interviewed Alipay officials, but did not receive a response by the time of publication. However, our reporter found that according to Alipay's service agreement, both the creator and administrator have the right to independently invite other users into their small bags or accept invitations without needing others to confirm.

To protect users' financial security and prevent fraud, the service agreement also states that when a user invites others into their small bag, the invited party can view the inviter's and creator's Alipay account information, including their real name and the number of members in the small bag.

In short, the small bag function is actually a way for you to share money with your loved ones. However, it is worth noting that the administrator can use the funds without anyone else's approval or password, which is exactly what scammers take advantage of. The police warn users to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity.

In addition, our reporter also noticed that in cases where disputes arise, Alipay's service agreement states that either the creator or administrator can temporarily lock down the funds in a small bag without needing others to confirm. If the lock is applied, all members of the small bag will be unable to transfer funds in and out during this period.

According to Wang Pengbo, chief analyst at Bo Tong Consulting, Alipay's small bag function is intended for families and friends to share money. However, as an administrator can withdraw funds without anyone else's approval or password, users must be careful when using this feature. Any transactions involving transfers or withdrawals should be carefully reviewed.

Jing Zhi Analysis Senior Consultant Su Xiaorui further warns that users need to pay attention to multiple aspects, including the fact that asking for a loan by storing money first does not make logical sense, as there is no requirement for deposits in regular financial institutions. Additionally, users should avoid sharing Alipay account information with strangers and verify their identity and institution before proceeding.