Paying property management fees with a 7.4% discount, covering nationwide properties, and payments verifiable upon arrival—these heavily promoted low-cost payment services flooding social media have recently saved some homeowners over a thousand yuan. However, a homeowner in Changsha was contacted by police the day after placing an order, prompting multiple property management companies to issue warnings that this seemingly generous discount is actually a new type of illegal scheme, turning unsuspecting bargain hunters into unwitting accomplices in criminal activities.

Property Management Fees for Any Company or City Can Be Paid on Your Behalf

A homeowner in Changsha, Ms. Zhang, stumbled upon an advertisement for property fee payment services on Xianyu, a second-hand trading platform. Driven by curiosity, she clicked on a link. The seller's page clearly stated, "National property management fees and parking fees at 7.5% discount. For amounts over 6,000 yuan, an additional discount to 7.4% is available." Ms. Zhang provided a payment link for her property fee of 3,964 yuan, paid only 2,973 yuan after the 7.5% discount, saving nearly 1,000 yuan compared to the normal payment. However, just one night later, the property management company contacted Ms. Zhang, stating that the funds were suspected of being involved in fraud and would be frozen and recovered. Ms. Zhang said that on the day the police contacted her, the seller was still urging her to confirm receipt of the order, repeatedly claiming, "This is done through proper channels, and we will provide after-sales service if there are any issues." Unable to reach an agreement with the seller, Ms. Zhang requested platform mediation. "The property management company returned the money to the original account. The platform kept asking me to submit evidence, and it took about a month. It wasn't until the end of June that I got my money back." Currently, the seller Ms. Zhang mentioned has been "deactivated" on the platform.

An investigation by the reporter found that this "discount property fee payment" scheme has ensnared many homeowners, even affecting the normal operations of property management companies. Several property management companies have issued statements on their WeChat public accounts, warning homeowners to be wary of this "fraudulent" payment service. The reporter tested the process by posing as a homeowner in a community managed by Vanke Property. Among four randomly selected sellers on Xianyu offering similar services, only one responded: a 7.8% discount with a minimum amount of 1,000 yuan. The process is simple: provide the property fee payment QR code, purchase the corresponding amount on the seller's link, the seller pays on your behalf, then sends a payment confirmation, and you verify with the property management company. The seller emphasized, "You can ask the property management company. Confirm the payment arrived, then confirm receipt of the order." The seller showed multiple successful payment cases, including property management companies like Vanke Property, Longfor Smart Living, and Jinke Services, with homeowners across cities like Dalian, Chongqing, and Beijing. Ultimately, the reporter paid 970 yuan for a property fee originally set at 1,244.10 yuan. 24 hours after payment, the seller confirmed the funds had arrived. After verifying with the property management company, the reporter confirmed receipt of the order. The reporter noted that among the companies advertised as being eligible for discount payment services, industry leaders like Sunac Services, China Resources Property, and COLI Property were included. The seller stated, "We can help with any company or city. Just provide the payment QR code or link." The seller also mentioned that if others needed the service, they could be recommended via WeChat, with larger amounts getting bigger discounts, down to 7.4%. However, just after the reporter completed the transaction and obtained the seller's WeChat, the seller's account was permanently banned by the platform for "serious or repeated violations." Besides Xianyu, similar services were found on platforms like Xiaohongshu and Taobao. Meanwhile, homeowners in Beijing, Hunan, and other regions reported using discount services on Xianyu for amounts ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 yuan, confirming receipt after the property management company verified payment. The reporter contacted Vanke Property, but a spokesperson said, "The company has not authorized any company or individual to offer discount payment services. This is a scam, and several projects have issued related announcements." However, when asked if property management companies proactively check whether the homeowner's payment comes from the homeowner or a third party, multiple companies stated, "No, we just need to know which unit it is." Additionally, the reporter contacted Sunac Services, Country Garden Services, and others listed by the seller, all of whom confirmed they do not offer such discount services.

What is the Trick Behind the "Unprofitable" Property Fee Discounts?

Why are property fee discounts available? Are sellers really making a loss? Ms. Zhang repeatedly asked the seller about the source of the discount, but the seller only replied, "I can't say." The reporter asked several other sellers offering similar services but received inconsistent explanations: some claimed it was from "bank points exchange," others said it was an "internal channel," and some mentioned "corporate account activities." A customer service representative from Xianyu told the reporter that individual sellers typically do not need any relevant certification to post items for sale. "If a problem arises after confirming receipt, you can contact platform customer service to file a complaint through the process. The platform will verify and assist in recovering losses as soon as possible." Regarding the fact that many buyers have reported risks with this service while many sellers remain active on the platform, the representative said, "The platform will continue to optimize and improve." A bank employee explained that if the system detects abnormal funds, the bank account will be automatically frozen. Generally, if the transaction is through a third-party platform, the seller's account is more likely to be frozen, but if a police report is filed, all accounts involved in the seller's transaction history may be frozen. Similar cases have occurred in Ganyu District, Lianyungang City. A spokesperson for the Ganyu District Public Security Bureau stated, "The '8% discount on property fees' is a typical online trap. There is no legitimate third-party channel for substantial discounts on property fees. Such discounts often hide a black industry chain of money laundering or fraud." The spokesperson detailed the operation of this scam. The first step is the bait: fraudsters or agents post ads on second-hand trading platforms, short-video platforms, and community owner groups, offering "7% to 8.5% discount on property fees or parking fees" or "exclusive internal channels." The second step is inducing payment: fraudsters ask homeowners to bypass platform supervision and transfer money to personal or unknown company accounts via WeChat or Alipay, while also requesting sensitive information like payment QR codes, unit numbers, ID numbers, and phone numbers. The third step is false fulfillment or money laundering: in simple scams, fraudsters take the money and disappear, sending fake payment confirmations; in more advanced scams, fraudsters use illegal funds to pay the property fee, making the homeowner believe they received a discount while actually being used as a "money laundering tool." For example, a fraudster might tell a homeowner they need to pay 20,000 yuan in property fees at an 8% discount, only charging 16,000 yuan. The homeowner transfers 16,000 yuan, and the fraudster then transfers 20,000 yuan (from illegal sources) to the homeowner's account. In this process, the fraudster's "cost" for money laundering is 4,000 yuan, while the homeowner's legitimate funds are transferred to the criminal's account. "Direct use of illegal funds is easily detected by bank risk controls and police freezes. By paying property fees, even if only 70% is recovered, criminals can turn 'dirty money that can't be used' into 'clean money that can be freely spent,'" the spokesperson said.

Homeowners May Become 'Accomplices' in Money Laundering Crimes

"Homeowners who pay through unofficial channels risk losing their money and may need to pay the property fee again to the management company, along with potential late payment penalties," said Wang Yuchen, director of Beijing Jinsu Law Firm. He further explained that if a homeowner is aware that the third party is engaging in illegal activities but still cooperates to obtain a discount, they could face criminal liability depending on the severity of the case. Notably, the China Property Management Association issued a risk warning on January 22, 2026, stating that numerous false advertisements for "property fee payment services" and "8.5% discount on property fees" have appeared on third-party platforms, luring homeowners with low prices and causing property losses and service disputes. The association noted that these scams have evolved into variations like "property maintenance fund payment with rebates" and "cheap parking fee top-ups," leading to financial losses, personal information leaks, and operational pressure on property management companies. Local police have initiated investigations in multiple regions. Property management companies like Longfor Smart Living, New Century Services, and Yuexiu Services have issued statements on their WeChat accounts warning homeowners. "According to Article 171 of the Civil Code of the People's Republic of China, unauthorized third-party payment services may constitute unauthorized agency. Depending on the severity, this could involve crimes like fraud or money laundering," Wang said. He advised homeowners who are caught in disputes (e.g., being asked to pay again by the property company or losing money) to first preserve evidence like promotional materials, transaction records, and communication logs. They should also report the seller to the third-party platform, demanding a freeze of the seller's account and a refund. Additionally, homeowners can file complaints with relevant authorities, providing the seller's identity information for investigation. "If the amount is significant or personal information is leaked, homeowners can also file a police report to protect their rights," Wang said. Furthermore, after confirming the third party's identity and securing evidence, homeowners can file a civil lawsuit to recover funds and losses. They should also verify the outstanding property fee amount with the property management company and arrange payment to avoid penalties for late payment.