Authorities Expose Low-Cost AI Service Point Scams

China's Central Television (CCTV) has exposed a scam network selling AI service points at a fraction of their official price. Reports indicate that for as little as 8.8 yuan, users can purchase points officially valued at hundreds of yuan. These discounted points are marketed as being sourced directly or through "internal channels."

The investigation reveals that these low-cost points are obtained by tampering with users' local configurations via third-party API relay stations. This allows for the interception and resale of user documents, code, and meeting minutes. For instance, Tencent WorkBuddy's 5000-point package, officially priced at 250 yuan, is being sold for as little as 8.8 yuan on secondary platforms.

A CCTV reporter purchased one such package and received instructions to download and run a script. After execution, a "custom model" option appeared in the client. Users reported significantly faster point consumption, with sellers admitting their systems used points 5-8 times quicker. It was determined that users were not acquiring official points but were instead being routed through seller-controlled systems.

Technology experts warn that these relay stations offer unreliable services and varying resource quality. The primary risk lies in running unknown scripts locally, giving remote operators control over the software's actions. This can lead to the interception and resale of sensitive information, including corporate code and personal documents. China's state security agency has also issued warnings about similar risks associated with both domestic and foreign AI models and APIs.

Authorities are advising users to exclusively use official and authorized platforms, to anonymize sensitive data beforehand, and to immediately cease using suspicious services if unusual charges, account lockouts, or other anomalies occur. Gathering evidence and updating security measures are recommended.