Hospital appointment scalping ring busted

A massive hospital appointment scalping ring in China's northeastern city of Shenyang was dismantled after police found the group had "stolen" more than 7,500 appointments and pocketed over 510,000 yuan in illegal profits within six months.

The sophisticated syndicate, which relied on both technology and former hospital insiders, preyed on desperate patients struggling to secure slots at top hospitals in the Liaoning provincial capital.

For many patients, securing an appointment at a Shenyang hospital had become a frustrating battle: online slots vanished within seconds, and offline queues stretched endlessly. Amid this desperation, a shadowy group of "ticket scalpers" thrived, promising families "speedy registration for any department, any checkup" for a hefty markup.

The crackdown began in August when Shenyang police noticed unusual activity in several hospitals' registration systems. After nearly a month of investigating access logs and payment records, a criminal network emerged: nine scalper gangs and 75 people operating a three-step scheme: snatch, hoard, and resell appointments.

The gang's methods were particularly insidious due to its roots within the hospital system. Over 20 core members were former patients or caregivers who had memorized exactly when new appointments went live.

To amplify their gains, the scalpers hired software developers to build plug-ins designed to hack into hospital registration systems. These illegal tools were embedded directly into hospital platforms, allowing scalpers to preset patient information, target departments, and automatically snatch slots without manual input.

Developers sold the plug-ins for tens of thousands of yuan. Using the software, some scalpers made between 10,000 to 20,000 yuan ($1,405 to $2,810) a month reselling slots. Others deployed simulators that clicked appointment links 200 to 300 times a minute, causing popular expert appointments to fill up in seconds.

The gang operated like a well-organized machine, with members specializing in buying software, snatching appointments, and actively prowling hospitals for customers, according to the Shenyang police investigation.

"They'd watch for anxious faces, then say, 'even locals can't get this appointment'. Non-local patients, desperate to avoid delays, were hit with the highest markups — anywhere from several hundred to several thousand yuan," said Dong Ze, an officer from the Shenyang public security bureau.

The transaction was swift: scalpers canceled their hoarded slot, then used the patient's information to grab it instantly.

"Beyond the regular registration fee, they demanded an extra 300 yuan — and swore my relative could get checked the same day," said a man surnamed Liang, whose family member needed urgent medical care.

By the time police acted, the scalpers had stolen over 7,500 appointments across four top Shenyang hospitals within a six-month period.

In September, a cross-region manhunt led to arrests in Guangzhou of Guangdong province, Yantai of Shandong province, Huludao of Liaoning, and beyond, capturing all 75 suspects.

Ten of the suspects have been formally arrested and face charges of destroying computer information systems, while 65 others received administrative penalties for disturbing public order.

Following the bust, Shenyang police pushed hospitals to upgrade registration systems, beef up technology defenses, and monitor for abnormal traffic.

"We are using video patrols to spot scalpers early. Hospital security first warns or expels them, and repeat offenders get picked up by local police," Dong said. "We're also making internet firms take down scalper ads — cutting off their ability to find customers."

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn