Illegal Program Installation Used to Falsify Weight
Chinese Authorities Launch Major Crackdown
Merchants in China who deceived consumers using scales with adjustable measurements have been widely caught. These so-called 'ghost scales' are mainly used in traditional markets or restaurants to trick consumers.
According to local media such as China Central Television (CCTV), there have been 8,000 cases of 'ghost scales' detected since the beginning of this year. More than 20,000 scales have been confiscated.
The 'ghost scales,' which cheat weight by embedding illegal programs, change numbers with a single remote control operation. Pressing price button 1 increases the weight by 10%, and pressing price button 3 increases it by 20%. It is even possible to input the desired number, which is then directly reflected on the scale.
As conflicts between merchants and consumers grew due to these scales, Chinese authorities recently launched a nationwide large-scale crackdown. The authorities emphasized, "If you find a ghost scale, avoid confrontation with the merchant and report it immediately."
The media advised that to check if a scale is a ghost scale, one can place an item such as a mobile phone on the scale during weighing. This helps avoid manipulation by using an item with a known weight.
Domestic netizens who heard the news responded with comments such as "Everything in China is fake," "I need to be careful when going to China," "A world where you can't even trust scales," "If it's made in China, you suspect everything," and "Not really surprising."
Meanwhile, in China, those caught making or using ghost scales can face fines of up to nearly 100 million won.
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