Can property management fees be discounted and paid on behalf? Beware, some residents of Shenyang have already fallen for it.

“Property fee 15% off on behalf of payment” “Parking space management fee low-cost top-up” — if you receive such messages, be cautious! What seems like a money-saving “benefit” is actually a trap carefully designed by scammers. On February 24, reporters found that these “discounted property fee on behalf of payment” online scams have already tricked some residents in Shenyang and even affected the normal operation of property management companies.

China Property Management Association reminds:

Property service companies have legitimate payment channels. Do not trust false online information easily.

The “pie” in your favorites is a “trap.”

Ms. Zou, a frequent user of second-hand trading platforms, recently discovered a message claiming “pay property fee with 15% off” and inquired about it. The other party claimed they could pay her community’s property fee on her behalf with a discount of up to 85%, and the process was simply to click the product link to pay and provide the property payment QR code.

“Having shopped online for years, I rarely got scammed. Saving 15% on property fees is a lot,” she thought. Excited, Ms. Zou saved the transaction info, planning to try paying this way next quarter. However, recently, in her Vanke property owner group, the manager urgently issued a warning: “Beware of online traps involving ‘property fee discount on behalf of payment’.” The case described was very similar to what Ms. Zou experienced. “Luckily, I saw the warning in time, or I would have fallen for it!” She still feels uneasy when recalling that moment.

Chain scams cause multiple parties to suffer losses

Investigations into several properties in Shenyang revealed that the “property fee discount on behalf of payment” online trap has already deceived some residents.

A resident in Heping District paid 1,680 yuan for underground parking management fees via online transfer. Later, the Anti-Fraud Center of a city in Guizhou Province contacted the property management, revealing the funds involved a scam. Recently, the property company of a community in Tiexi District received a call from police in a city in Jiangsu Province. A property fee of 4,828.68 yuan paid online was suspected to be part of a scam, and victims had already filed reports.

“We analyzed these cases and found that the scam logic is very sophisticated. Each case is like a chain trap, involving not only residents and property companies but also third-party victims,” said a manager of a large property management company in Shenyang. The complexity of these scams often results in multiple parties suffering losses.

Don’t trust “fake” schemes—follow the legitimate path

On the same day, the China Property Management Association learned that many third-party online platforms are spreading false information such as “property fee on behalf of payment with 85% off,” using low prices to lure residents into transactions. This has led to multiple cases of property loss and disputes over property services. Additionally, these illegal activities have spawned scams like “property maintenance fund on behalf of payment with rebates” and “low-cost parking space top-up,” which not only cause residents to lose money and personal information but also create operational and financial risks for property service companies, severely disrupting community order and affecting social stability.

In response, the China Property Management Association issued risk prevention tips, emphasizing that property companies should remind residents not to provide sensitive information such as identity, property details, bank card info, verification codes, or payment QR codes to strangers, to prevent “low-price on behalf of payment” scams. It also particularly reminds residents that all property management companies have legitimate channels for collecting property fees; do not trust false online information.

(Shandong Daily, Shenyang Daily Media Senior Reporter Liu Yang, Intern Zhou Yi)

【Source: Northeast News】