This director is vindictive.

Chapter 199 Chen Mo is embroiled in a fraud scandal?
Breaking news! Newly crowned director with billions in earnings embroiled in fraud scandal!

"Multiple people were scammed, with the amount exceeding one million! The reason for the scam was Chen Mo!"

"Should idols be held responsible when fans are scammed? The case of Chen Mo's fans being scammed—was it simply because they trusted Chen Mo too much?"

"Beware of new scam patterns; billionaire Chen Mo is suspected of becoming a new scam gimmick!"

Overnight, Chen Mo was embroiled in a fraud scandal and immediately became a trending topic.

Chen Mo, the person involved, was completely bewildered. Seeing his name prominently featured on the trending topics list, he was utterly dumbfounded.

The thing isn't new; some people have just fallen victim to telecom fraud!

Moreover, the amount involved is as high as millions.

After learning about it, Chen Mo was both amused and exasperated. This scam was incredibly simple, or rather, incredibly childish.

However, some people still fall for the scam.

Of course, this is also related to Chen Mo being dubbed the god of investment in the film industry, and the listing of Shengshi Pictures, which greatly increased his net worth and created a wealth myth.

Scammers falsely claimed that renowned director Chen Mo, who has amassed billions in revenue, wanted to give back to his fans by launching a crowdfunding film project, allowing fans to make money together!
This kind of thing is so obviously fake that anyone with a modicum of sense would know it's impossible.

But as the saying goes, "there are all sorts of birds in a big forest," and some people actually did get scammed and even successfully transferred money.

The key point is that there are quite a few people involved, and the amount of money defrauded in the same way is quite large. Moreover, because it involves the famous celebrity Chen Mo, the news was immediately noticed by the media for its news value.

Then it was exposed, and sure enough, it became a trending topic in no time.

The Chen Mo fraud scandal spread across the entire internet in a short time.

However, Chen Mo, the person directly involved, was the last to find out.

Of course, Zhao Ming from Shengshi Pictures reacted swiftly, issuing a clarification immediately.

Chen Mo and Shengshi Pictures have never released any so-called "crowdfunding film" projects. As a listed company, Shengshi Pictures and Chen Mo himself will be open and transparent about any investment measures they take, and will not use this method to conduct so-called crowdfunding!

In fact, netizens also know that this matter really has little to do with Chen Mo.

Didn't we have those kinds of scams a few years ago, like winning prizes on CCTV variety shows?

The methods are actually quite similar, except that this time the criminals have changed their tactics and it's Chen Mo who has taken over.

The local law enforcement agency handling the case also issued a case announcement as soon as possible, making everyone understand that this was actually a false alarm. Although the gimmick was that Chen Mo was crowdfunding a movie project, in reality, everyone knows that Chen Mo really can't take the blame for this.

But even though they knew, they couldn't help it when Chen Mo got into trouble, especially with the fraud case. So netizens were just enjoying the drama.

Of course, some people with ulterior motives have started to engage in moral blackmail.

"Chen Mo is so rich, yet his fans were scammed because of him. Shouldn't he also bear some responsibility?"

"That's right, with a net worth of tens of billions, it's not unreasonable to reimburse the few million yuan you were scammed out of. Don't you like to pamper your fans? This is your chance to shine!"

"Indeed, those who were deceived were probably all because they trusted Chen Mo, so putting aside the facts, Chen Mo should indeed bear some responsibility, right?"

Yes, there are some people who actually said that Chen Mo is so rich that a few million is nothing to him, but for those who were scammed, a few million is a huge sum. So Chen Mo, why don't you just reimburse them?
Of course, this kind of comment was quickly drowned out by a flood of sarcastic remarks from netizens.

"Heh, it's almost 2019, and there are still people like this! They're quite adept at using moral blackmail, isn't this the first time?"

"Holy crap, I've never seen anything like this before. If what these people are saying is true, then should CCTV reimburse those people who were scammed by the prize-winning gimmicks on CCTV variety shows back then?"

"Anyone who says something like that is both stupid and wicked! What is this? Tell the scammers to hurry up and use whoever has money to scam people. No matter how much they scam, these rich people will pay for it! No, Chen Mo isn't your parent. Even your parents don't have an obligation to take responsibility for this kind of thing for you, right?"

"When you become famous, you attract a lot of trouble, but this is just a case of making baseless accusations and being unreasonable."

"True Chen Mo fans won't fall for this kind of scam. Don't always speak for the fans; you can only speak for yourself!"

This matter caused quite a stir, and Chen Mo felt somewhat helpless.

He sympathized with those who were scammed, but the idea of ​​reimbursing them for the money they were scammed out of was simply outrageous.

Of course, only a small number of people are stirring up trouble; most netizens are reasonable.

In fact, even law enforcement agencies couldn't help but step forward and issue statements criticizing these remarks.

However, these kinds of things are really hard to prevent. In fact, we have put a lot of effort into promoting fraud prevention and anti-fraud efforts in recent years, but the results have not been very significant.

Just then, a netizen suddenly made a suggestion that received countless likes.

One netizen commented: "The earlier film 'Caught in the Web' popularized the harm of cyberbullying and used real-life cases to make people feel how harmful it is. The later film 'Dying to Survive' reflected the problem of exorbitant drug prices and promoted medical reform. Article 20 further popularized the concept of 'legitimate self-defense.' So Chen Mo can continue to make realistic films. Films about fraud prevention are already very good."

"That's a good suggestion. There are indeed very few movies like this on the market, and there are so many telecom fraud and online scams these days. You could say who hasn't received a call like that?"

"Indeed, I still receive some strange scam calls every now and then."

"The methods of fraud are constantly evolving and keeping up with the times. They include things like using public security, procuratorate and courts to handle cases, insurance, express delivery, smuggling and so on. There are countless examples."

"I remember receiving a call once. The person on the other end acted like an old friend and chatted with me, asking me to guess who they were. I genuinely thought they were my college classmate. Then, they called me frequently over the next few days, and I still believed they were the person I thought they were. They then said they wanted to come visit me and asked me to host them, which I immediately agreed to. But soon, they revealed their true colors, saying they couldn't come because they had been in a car accident and needed to pay a certain amount of compensation, but they were still short a certain amount. I didn't think too much about it at the time and just transferred the money without thinking. Only later did I realize that I had been scammed."

"My wife was scammed by someone who said she could do part-time online order boosting at home. They would pull you into a group, have you do some simple order boosting, and then send you payment immediately, one order at a time. It seemed incredibly reliable, and you could easily make money!"
But soon they said QQ groups didn't allow this, and if you wanted to continue, you had to download their app. Once you downloaded it, they'd reveal their true intentions, asking you to advance funds with promises of multiple refunds, gradually luring you in until it was too late!

"Also, they'll call you and say that a package of yours has been seized and that contraband was found inside, to make you nervous first, and then they'll start making all sorts of arrangements to deceive you."

"There are also people pretending to be bank customer service, saying your account has been frozen and asking you to provide bank account information for verification. Many of these scams are actually very simple, but some people still fall for them!"

Immediately, netizens shared their own experiences of being scammed or how they were scammed.

This topic immediately went viral and became a trending topic.

The reason is simple: it hits a nerve with everyone. With the advent of the internet and mobile internet era, online and telecommunications fraud cases are rampant.

Moreover, because these cases occur online, even if the police are notified, it is often difficult to recover the money.

Immediately, countless netizens left messages under Chen Mo's Weibo post, suggesting that Chen Mo make a movie on the same subject.

After all, among those who make realistic films in China right now, Chen Mo is undoubtedly one of the best, if not the best.

He is the best! From "Search" to "Article 20," everything proves this point! And this suggestion from netizens has indeed caught the attention of many people.

"It would be best to make a film about cross-border fraud, like a fraud ring in Beijing!" "Yes, this kind of movie is really needed! I hope Chen Mo can make one, like 'Article 20' or 'Dying to Survive,' so that movies can change things!"

"Online fraud has become rampant in recent years, and a movie like this is definitely needed to raise awareness!"

"I support it! If they were to crowdfund a movie like this, I'd be the first to invest!"

"Stop talking nonsense upstairs. Crowdfunding? Crowdfunding scams are still fresh in our minds!"

For a time, there was a huge outcry, and even many people in film companies saw the commercial potential in this subject matter!

They could only feel envy, jealousy, and resentment towards Chen Mo, because even if they made this kind of movie, to be honest, the audience might not buy into it as much as they would with Chen Mo's movies.

After all, there is only one Chen Mo. He has made several realistic films, and each one has a greater impact than the last. Only Chen Mo is truly unique!
Just look at how popular and enthusiastic people are, yet everyone is only after Chen Mo, and you'll understand.

With so many directors in China, why do they all insist on casting Chen Mo? This in itself reflects his influence, indicating that people are more willing to trust Chen Mo when it comes to this type of film.

Actually, there are movies like this, such as "The Big Call," "The Parrot," and "The Unholy Caller."

But in Chen Mo's memory, the most famous one was the first cross-border anti-fraud film, "All or Nothing"!
This incident, coupled with the fraudulent phone call his own mother received, did indeed give Chen Mo some ideas.

Originally, he planned to film "Sunny Sisters" next year, but plans can't keep up with changes.

He was also considering whether to take this opportunity to make a film called "All or Nothing".
Of course, Chen Mo had also read the original version of "All or Nothing" back then.

Many netizens commented, "Isn't it good that this movie has made more people wary of online scams?"

Yes, there's nothing wrong with that; it's certainly a very good thing. But "preventing the audience from being fooled" is really not part of the criteria for evaluating a film.

This can be considered the standard for a promotional video! If it's just a promotional video, then there's nothing wrong with it, but if it's a movie, Chen Mo would just shake his head. At least in his opinion, it's really not very well made.

In Chen Mo's opinion, "All or Nothing" is a very successful promotional video, but it's really not a good movie!

In terms of social value, this film is indeed the most influential as the first cross-border anti-telecom fraud film. However, in terms of the film itself, its completion level is really not high.

Simply put, the storytelling is very poor.

It's completely different from the brilliance portrayed in the publicity.

Simply put, for example, the characters involved in the movie.

In the original version, Wang Chuanjun's portrayal of the villain was very stereotypical; he was a complete and utter villain.

Moreover, they are villains who appear out of nowhere.

The characters' motivations can be described as confused and ambiguous!

Not only the villain played by Wang Chuanjun, but the female lead in the story is also inexplicably strange.

It's completely baffling what this character is trying to do, or what she actually wants.
She seems to want money, but you can't see any ecstatic or obsessed look on her face when she sees the enormous wealth. Is it because she feels guilty and fearful after coming here?

When faced with various "violent spectacles" that became part of a scam, she did not show the slightest resistance.

Was it because she wanted to leave this hell and wanted freedom?
But what's outrageous is that she actually tried to persuade the male lead, who had helped her, to stay.

Before she started to run away after realizing she couldn't escape, it was completely baffling what this character was after, or what her significance was in the movie.
Chen Mo genuinely didn't understand. After watching the movie, aside from the fraudulent methods and violent spectacles depicted, he really didn't understand what else there was to discuss.
Another one is the victim, a role that is equally inexplicable.

If Chen Mo were to narrate the story of the victims, it should have been the most suitable place to trigger the audience's psychological fear, because this kind of thing is very close to us. It is the pop-up windows we encounter when we go online, and the cards and advertisements that can be seen everywhere in public spaces.

In Chen Mo's view, the most crucial aspect of the film is its storytelling.

Because if this storyline is told well, then the audience can empathize with it and apply it to their own lives, thus achieving the best effect.

To put it simply, it's about resonance.

For example, many people are clearly rational at the beginning, but why are they gradually led and lured into the abyss?
This is the key point, and the point where the public can resonate: knowing there are tigers in the mountains, yet still venturing into the tiger's den, always thinking that one will be the most special one—that is the most terrifying thing.

However, the movie didn't show this, and in Chen Mo's opinion, that was the biggest flaw.

The film "All or Nothing" uses the most direct and simple method: a rich second-generation heir clicks on a fraudulent website because of a gambling advertisement, and is then lured step by step into the abyss, winning small wins and losing big wins, losing small losses and losing big losses, until he refuses to give up, and finally loses all his money and jumps off a building.

The movie, however, glosses over the process in the simplest and most direct way. For example, why did he click on the ad? What was his initial mindset or thoughts? There's nothing; it's all done in one step.

Only results, no process!
This is really, really bad.

In Chen Mo’s opinion, it did this even worse than the earlier, less famous “Call for Fraud”!
At least they described how they were scammed. Why were they scammed?

A good anti-fraud story should tell the audience what kinds of scams exist. Although a movie cannot show them all, it should at least tell the audience how closely they are related to our occasional greedy desires in our daily lives, and then tell us that being scammed can lead to utter ruin!

Instead of like in the movies, where the person who gets scammed is asked why he was scammed because he's a rich kid and it was all for money.

Obviously not! Because he doesn't lack money, his desire for money is actually much weaker than that of many people who don't have money.

What was the purpose of that? What was being greedy for?
No, the movie didn't say anything about it; it just touched on it briefly!
Then you get hooked right away, as if the system is directly and bluntly telling the audience, "Don't click, or you won't be fooled!"
In Chen Mo's opinion, it was wrong to film a rich second-generation clicking into a website that was obviously a scam, and then being immediately drawn in and becoming addicted to it. This is quite different from the lives and thinking of most people.

If Chen Mo were to direct this, it would tell everyone that no matter how highly educated or experienced you are, no matter how cautious you are, how many scams you've uncovered, or how many times you've dealt with scammers on the phone, you can still fall into their trap unknowingly because they can accurately capture your desires!
Therefore, if Chen Mo were to film "All or Nothing", he would definitely not follow the original version.

Because that was really just a promotional video, not a movie!
The plot is too rough!
We all know that human nature is complex.

In fact, Chen Mo had read some articles about the experiences of people who escaped from there in his previous life.

You could say those movies are far more exciting than this one!
Getting back to the point, Chen Mo actually did have some thoughts about it.

Moreover, there are currently no anti-fraud apps available, which may present an opportunity.

Could the release of this anti-fraud app be accelerated by using movies?

Furthermore, Chen Mo currently has no film plans for 2019. "Sunny Sisters" was originally a project he had saved, but since he can't make it now, making "All In" would be quite appropriate.

Especially now that there's such a high demand, this film, once it's started production, won't need to worry about publicity.

The key point is that this kind of movie is indeed very meaningful, and it can't be compared to ordinary entertainment films.

Of course, Chen Mo still needs to consider the specifics of how to film it and how to arrange the plot.

Of course, he couldn't film it exactly like the original. He could take the more outstanding parts, but he also had to play to the strengths and avoid the weaknesses!
(End of this chapter)