Microsoft Teams Exploited by Scammers Targeting Chinese Victims

Enterprise platforms become fraud infrastructure

Scammers operating in China have turned Microsoft Teams and similar enterprise communication platforms into tools for large-scale fraud, with individual victims reporting losses ranging from $1,500 to $300,000, according to WIRED.

The scheme follows a consistent pattern: fraudsters make initial contact through social media platforms like Xiaohongshu or dating apps, then move conversations to Microsoft Teams by providing victims with pre-made login credentials. Once victims transfer money—often for fake cryptocurrency investments or romance scams—the scammers deactivate the accounts, destroying chat logs that could serve as evidence for law enforcement.

Zhao, a Beijing resident who lost over $100,000 in May, told WIRED she was contacted by someone claiming to be a Microsoft researcher. After moving their conversation to Teams, the scammer introduced her to a cryptocurrency scheme and convinced her to take out bank loans to invest more. When he disappeared with her funds, she could no longer access the Teams account to retrieve their conversations.

Why it matters

The exploitation of trusted enterprise software reveals a critical blind spot in platform security. While Chinese messaging apps like WeChat deploy aggressive keyword detection to flag investment scams even in private messages, Western enterprise tools lack comparable safeguards for consumer-facing abuse. This gap creates an asymmetric advantage for fraudsters who leverage the legitimacy of brands like Microsoft and Cisco to bypass victim skepticism—a problem that extends beyond China as remote work normalizes enterprise app usage globally.

Scale of the problem emerges in app reviews

WIRED's analysis of 500 Microsoft Teams reviews on Apple's Chinese app store over 18 months found that 30 percent explicitly mentioned scams, with complaints dating back to 2022. One January review described losing 1.48 million yuan ($220,000) in what the victim called a "pig-butchering" scam.

Similar patterns appear on Cisco's Webex platform. Since February 2025, 71 percent of over 150 Webex reviews on Apple's Chinese app store referenced scams. Zoho's Cliq workplace app has also been exploited, though the company told WIRED it identified only "a limited number of instances."

Several Chinese law enforcement bureaus have issued warnings specifically naming Teams as a fraud tool, with one describing it as a "fraud-related app." The professional networking platform Maimai told Chinese media it automatically warns users when detecting high-risk keywords like "Teams" and "Skype" in messages.

Platform responses vary

Microsoft began displaying warning banners to Teams users in China in June 2026, cautioning about common scams and urging caution with sensitive information. The company also discontinued the personal version of Teams in China, making it available only through enterprise accounts.

Steven Masada, global head of Microsoft's digital crimes division, said in a statement that the company "investigates reports of abuse, takes action against accounts that violate our policies, and continues to strengthen protections designed to identify and disrupt fraudulent activity."

Zoho responded more aggressively after identifying suspicious usage internally. As of August 27, the company disabled online payments to Cliq in China, suspended suspected scammer accounts, and plans to discontinue the free version of Cliq in the country. Cisco did not respond to WIRED's request for comment.

Why enterprise apps appeal to fraudsters

Microsoft Teams offers several advantages for scammers operating in China. Unlike Telegram or WhatsApp, it isn't blocked by government censors. Its enterprise features—including screen sharing and remote control—provide additional vectors for manipulation. Most importantly, its association with Microsoft lends legitimacy that helps overcome victim wariness.

Tan Chenxin, a Chinese software engineer in New York, told WIRED he nearly fell for a Webex-based scam this week when someone claiming to represent a joint US-Chinese law enforcement investigation asked him to join a video call. "I looked up Webex and found that it was developed by Cisco, a world-leading cybersecurity software provider," he said. "I happen to know what Cisco is, so I convinced myself it was fine."

The details were first reported by WIRED's Zeyi Yang.