In summer, many workers in China receive a small extra payment called the hot weather allowance. It comes with the monthly salary, like clockwork. This year, however, some people received something else: a message that looked like an official notice.
A netizen recently shared her close call. A coworker sent her a link saying, “Claim your 500 yuan hot weather allowance today only!” The page looked official. It asked her to fill in her ID number and bank card details, and then to pay a small “activation fee” before the money could be sent. She almost did it — until she remembered that government payments never ask for your bank password.
The police have warned: the hot weather allowance is always paid together with your salary. There is no such thing as claiming it online, and no one will ever ask you to pay money first to receive money. If a link asks for your personal information and then demands a fee, it is almost certainly a scam.
Why do these tricks still work? Because they play with our emotions. The word “today only” creates pressure. The name of a familiar benefit makes us lower our guard. Scammers also send the link through a coworker’s account, so it feels trustworthy — even though the coworker has no idea it is fake.
Here is the golden rule: if you have to pay to receive, it is a fraud. Whether it is an allowance, a prize, or a refund, any message that asks for money first is a red flag. When in doubt, ask your company or call the police hotline. A few minutes of checking can save you from losing a month’s savings.
Words to know: allowance (津贴), scam (诈骗), claim (领取), activate (激活), pressure (压力), trustworthy (可信的), fraud (欺诈), hotline (热线).
长难句拆解 · 让步从句与嵌套从句
① Scammers also send the link through a coworker’s account, so it feels trustworthy — even though the coworker has no idea it is fake. 主干是 Scammers send the link…。so 引导结果句「因此显得可信」；even though 引导让步状语从句「尽管同事并不知情」；has no idea 后又嵌套一个省略 that 的从句 (that) it is fake。三层从句环环相扣，完整呈现了「链接为何显得可信」的逻辑链。
② Whether it is an allowance, a prize, or a refund, any message that asks for money first is a red flag. 主干是 any message is a red flag。句首 Whether…or… 引导让步，列举三种情形统统适用，译作「无论是……还是……」；that asks for money first 是定语从句修饰 any message。red flag 是「危险信号」的地道比喻，写作里可以直接借用。
同义替换 · 雅思阅读利器
反诈类文章的替换点多在情绪与动作短语上。先在题干圈出信号词，再回原文找同义变体，答案常与变体共享定位句。本文可迁移的替换组：
- a close call → a narrow escape（险情类表达通用）
- fill in → fill out / complete（表单类高频替换）
- creates pressure → generates a sense of urgency
- lower our guard → drop our defense / let down our guard
- feels trustworthy → seems reliable / appears credible
- when in doubt → if unsure / if uncertain
- save you from losing → spare you the loss of / protect you from losing
阅读自测 · 3 题
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The police say the hot weather allowance is always paid together with the salary.
- 简答（不超过 6 个词） — What did the fake page ask her to pay before sending the money?
- 判断（T / F / NG） — The police have caught the scammers behind the fake link.
参考答案与解析
- T — 原文警方提醒「the hot weather allowance is always paid together with your salary」，与题干一一对应，属原文直述。
- An activation fee. — 定位「pay a small ‘activation fee’ before the money could be sent」，注意问的是先付的费用，别答成 500 元津贴本身。
- NG — 全文只提到警方发出提醒与防范建议，从未提及已抓获该链接背后的骗子，属「无中生有」式干扰项。
中文译文
夏天，中国许多劳动者会收到一笔名为高温津贴的额外小钱。它像钟表一样，随月薪一起发放。然而今年，一些人收到的却是别的东西：一条看似官方通知的消息。
最近一名网友分享了自己险些中招的经历。一位同事给她发了个链接，写着「今天限定，速领你的 500 元高温津贴！」页面看着很官方，要求她填身份证号和银行卡信息，还要先付一笔小额「激活费」才能发钱。她差点就照做了——直到想起政府发的钱从不索要银行卡密码。
警方提醒：高温津贴始终随工资一并发放。不存在网上申领这回事，更不会有人让你先交钱再拿钱。如果一条链接先要你的个人信息、又索要费用，那几乎可以肯定是诈骗。
这些伎俩为何仍能得手？因为它们拿捏我们的情绪。「今天限定」制造紧迫感，一个熟悉的福利名目让我们放下戒备。骗子还借同事的账号发链接，于是显得可信——即便那同事根本不知道是假的。
黄金法则在此：要先交钱才能领取，就是诈骗。无论津贴、奖金还是退款，凡是先要钱的消息都是危险信号。拿不准时，问问公司或拨打反诈热线。几分钟的核实，就能让你免遭一个月积蓄打水漂。