Win trust, exploit greed: Chinese mafia modus operandi to siphon off crores

On May 22, Mihir Shah (name changed), a 33-year-old Vadodara-based stock broker, received a WhatsApp message promising him a "guaranteed income" of lakhs of rupees. All he had to do was 'like' YouTube videos of social media celebrities "who were willing to pay to increase the visibility", the prospective "employers" told him. Within 10 minutes of completing his "first task" on a website he was directed to, Shah earned Rs 15,000. Without hesitating, Shah followed the subsequent instructions, trusting the "online employers" and "recharging" his online 'work' account with Rs 30 lakh — most of which was borrowed from friends…