Taiwanese young people are being lured to China by fake job offers and united-front programs, and many end up detained — bad news for anyone tempted by the promise of easy money abroad.

• Chinese underground scam groups are setting up bases in Taiwan and pitching short "one or two week" jobs with big pay.
• Many who go are arrested once they arrive in China and cannot get back, with families petitioning Taiwan's Straits Exchange Foundation for help.
• Beijing is also running holiday camps, tours and startup subsidies aimed at young Taiwanese, with political stops built into the itineraries.
• China's own urban youth unemployment hit 17.9% in July, the highest since last September — so the promise of better jobs there does not add up.
• The scam operators get into Taiwan through business visas or marriage-based residency, and often use local companies or Taiwanese ID holders as fronts.

Outlook: Expect more warnings from Taiwanese authorities as recruitment pitches keep spreading while China's job market stays weak.