It is always exciting to see how powerful the social platform are in China, that some huge impact could be created within a short time. Tencent, owns the biggest social media platform in China, leverage it data capability to notice an issue – the Ponzi scheme comes back in a new form on social platforms, using social connections and spreading fast. More and more people become the victims. Tencent decided to tackle this web epidemic to make the netizens cautious and to provide a service to help them project themselves from schemes.

The core of Ponzi scheme: find a new member so that you can get back the money and even make a profit. We invited a well-known host Ma Dong to ask the netizens on the social platforms: In 3 minutes, You will need to find a scapegoat. And you can only choose between: A stranger or a friend?

This question arouses heated debates. We launch an event with a promise of a high profit, same as Ponzi scheme to draw netizens from online and BTL to join and become new members. And we reveal in the end that this is actually what would happen in a Ponzi scheme. More than 80% of participants become friendship killers.

The insight: the trust of friends makes the one an ideal target for a scheme. People could be easily tricked into schemes due to their trust.

We decide to imitate the scheme to guard the netizens up against it. We have the netizens experience this scheme on social media by giving them an immersive imitation, so that they can be cautious. And we sent out an invitation for Tencent Security APP to help people be noticed, and spread the protection through their social connections.

1, We invited a well-known host Ma Dong, the Ellen Degeneres in China, to ask the netizens on the social platforms: In 3 minutes, You will need to find a scapegoat. And you can only choose between: A stranger or a friend? And this question arouses heat debates which extended to media and becomes a social topic.

2, We launch an event with a promise of a high profit, same as Ponzi scheme to draw netizens to invite new members to join.

3, Ma Dong reveal in the live show that this is actually what would happen in a Ponzi scheme and more than 80% of participants become friendship killers without realizing it is a scheme.

4, After that, Tencent sent out an invitation for Tencent Security APP to all participants as a solution.

1. 42.13 Million retweets of this event, millions households use the app. 60 million media impression was generated within the 1st week

2. 800 police bureaus endorse this event via their official media outlet

3. 243 celebrities voluntarily advocates the event with participation of state media such People’s Daily, CCTV, Xinhua News Agency, accumulating 550 earn media articles

4. Corporate data for the first time provides the backbone for public internet security, Tencent wins collaboration with Public Security Bureau to fight telecom/internet fraud.