Microsoft Teams has reportedly become a commonly used tool in China for “pig-butchering” investment scams, in which fraudsters build trust before persuading victims to put money into fake cryptocurrency schemes. The cases matter because scammers exploit the credibility of familiar workplace software, and victims can lose access to chat records when accounts controlled by criminals disappear.

Victims described losses ranging from $1,500 to $300,000, often after being told to download Teams and use credentials supplied by the scammer; WIRED found that 30 percent of 500 recent Chinese App Store reviews mentioned scams. Microsoft introduced a scam-warning banner for Teams users in China in June and ended the personal version there, while similar complaints have involved Webex and Zoho Cliq; Zoho said it had suspended accounts linked to suspected fraudsters.