Running Circle Recruitment Scam Cracked: Haidian Procuratorate Secures Full Compensation

From April 2024 until the case was exposed, a fraud case emerged within Beijing's running community. The suspect Lin Mou exploited his connections accumulated in the running circle to post false recruitment information on WeChat Moments about marathon pacers and earphone testing positions, defrauding 14 university students in Beijing of a total of 33,864 yuan under the pretense of collecting deposits. Lin had been an active member of Beijing's running community for years, building relationships with many college students. Knowing students' need for part-time income, starting from April 2024, Lin posted recruitment information on WeChat Moments claiming that participants could earn extra money by serving as marathon pacers or earphone testers, with only a small deposit required to start. Trusting a "running buddy"'s recommendation and finding the recruitment information seemingly legitimate, 14 students from various Beijing universities transferred deposit money to Lin. However, the promised activities never materialized, and when students demanded refunds, Lin made various excuses until eventually going silent. The case later reached the Haidian District People's Procuratorate in Beijing. After review, the handling prosecutor found that although the amount was not enormous, the victims being current university students made the social harm significant. The prosecutor interviewed Lin multiple times, explaining the legal consequences from both legal and human perspectives. Facing the prosecutor's patient communication, Lin finally confessed to the criminal facts and expressed willingness to plead guilty and accept punishment. The prosecutor further promoted criminal reconciliation, urging Lin to fully compensate the victims. Through the procuratorate's coordination, Lin returned all 33,864 yuan to the 14 victims. Considering Lin's guilty plea, full compensation, and other mitigating circumstances, the procuratorate legally granted him lenient treatment. The handling prosecutor reminded college students to stay vigilant when seeking part-time jobs. Legitimate recruitment never requires deposits or transactions through personal WeChat accounts. For recruitment information claiming "high returns with no threshold," one should be extra cautious and verify with school career guidance departments or public security authorities when necessary.