Prisoner Finds 480,000 Yuan Disappeared After 7 Years: Account Balance Only 6.43 Yuan Upon Release

On December 23, 2025, Mr. Zhang from Rui'an, Zhejiang, was released after serving seven years in prison. Instead of retrieving his savings, he discovered his accounts had been virtually emptied - nearly 480,000 yuan in Alipay's Yu'ebao had vanished, with only 6.43 yuan remaining across his WeChat balance and bank cards. This bizarre case exposes serious security loopholes in the account management of detained persons. While Mr. Zhang was detained in late 2018 and sentenced to seven years in 2019, his account funds were secretly stolen. On September 20, 2019, his Alipay binding phone number was changed to a number from Lincang, Yunnan. Subsequently, over 470,000 yuan from Yu'ebao was transferred in multiple installments to a Bank of Communications account, then diverted through top-ups, consumption, and loan repayments to unfamiliar Alipay accounts belonging to people named Qin, Chen, and Yao. Even more shocking is where his WeChat balance went. According to payment records, more than 19,000 yuan from his WeChat was transferred in February 2019 to an account nicknamed "Xiao Ao Jian Hu." Investigation revealed this account was linked to a police officer's phone number from Taigu, Shanxi. When media sought confirmation, the officer only stated he needed organizational approval to respond. The case reveals a troubling issue: there appears to be some kind of "super privilege" regarding accounts of detained persons. Normally, changing a binding phone number requires in-person verification with ID and facial recognition. Yet Zhang's Alipay binding was successfully changed while he was imprisoned, and hundreds of thousands of yuan were easily transferred out. After his release, Zhang reported the case to police, but rights protection has proven difficult. The funds have already been scattered across multiple accounts, making recovery extremely challenging. Whether Zhang's losses can be recovered remains uncertain.