ETYMOLOGY
The term's transformation from Taoist allegory to modern cybercrime is uniquely Chinese. Originally depicting celestial beings testing mortals' virtue in Ming Dynasty literature, it now describes carefully choreographed extortion schemes exploiting digital anonymity.
Modern iterations typically involve:
Catfishing through Chinese social apps like Momo or TantanStaging "casual" meetups at compromised locationsSudden appearance of accomplices posing as police/relatives demanding hush moneyA 2021 Shanghai case revealed scammers using fake police badges and pepper spray, extorting over ¥800,000 in 6 months. Cybersecurity experts note emerging patterns using USDT cryptocurrency transfers to bypass traditional financial tracking.
Cultural insight: The "immortal" metaphor reflects the scammers' ability to suddenly materialize like mythical beings, leaving victims psychologically disoriented.