A MAN living in Longgang District, surnamed Qiu, that he received a message saying he needed to do a nucleic acid test in the next three hours. Otherwise, he would be held accountable for personal liability. The message was later confirmed as a new type of scam, Shenzhen Evening News reported Thursday.

Qiu, in his 50s, rushed to a nucleic acid test site in Bantian, asking for an on-site immediate test June 3. After being refused by an employee there, who found his negative test result was issued two days ago, Qiu anxiously argued with him saying, “if I don’t do one more test, I will be held accountable by law.”

A police officer named Wang Lei on site went to Qiu to learn about the case.

Qiu told the officer that he received a message, which read, “Dear residents, as requested, please go to the testing site at Futian Sports Park for a nucleic acid test before 2:30 p.m.

June 1. Please go to the location above in three hours upon receiving the message.”

Along with the message, there was a link for collecting personal information, including personal ID number and bank account numbers. The message also said that violators will be held accountable by law.

After learning this, Wang told Qiu the message was a scam and told him not to open the link.

Longgang police remind residents that a common last step of scams is to request people to fill out information such as bank account number and passwords.  (Wang Jingli)