CCTV Exposé Triggers Crackdown on Illegal Truck Scale Fraud in Ganzhou
Authorities in Zhanggong District, Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province, have launched an overnight investigation and a special rectification campaign after a CCTV News report exposed merchants illegally modifying truck scales to defraud customers at a major trade market.
The Investigation
On July 5, 2026, CCTV’s “Financial Investigation” (财经调查) program aired an undercover report revealing that merchants at the Gannan Trade Market (赣南贸易广场) in Zhanggong District were secretly offering illegal modifications to truck scales, known locally as “ghost scales” (鬼秤). The reporters spent days searching the market before locating a store operating discreetly on a street far from the main weighing equipment area.
According to the China News Service, the merchants quoted a price of 3,600 yuan (approximately $495 USD) for the modification. The altered scales came with a remote control featuring buttons A, B, C, and D, allowing operators to increase, decrease, or reset the displayed weight at will.
Economic Impact
Ganzhou serves as a critical logistics hub connecting East and South China, where large quantities of bulk goods are weighed and settled using truck scales. A single manipulated transaction could generate tens of thousands of yuan in illicit gains. The sellers typically restricted their business to individuals with obvious physical characteristics of scrap recyclers, a tactic designed to avoid undercover investigators and law enforcement.
Government Response
On July 6, the Zhanggong District Market Supervision Bureau issued a public notice stating it had launched an overnight investigation immediately following the media exposure. The bureau pledged to handle the matter “seriously according to the law” and announced it would “draw inferences” from the case to launch a special campaign targeting the illegal modification of truck scales.
“In response to the media exposure, the Zhanggong District Market Supervision Bureau launched an investigation overnight, will handle the matter seriously according to the law, and will draw inferences to launch a special campaign to rectify the illegal modification of truck scales,” the bureau stated in its notice, as reported by The Paper.
The bureau also urged citizens with information about illegal scale modifications to report via the 12315 consumer protection hotline, and promised to announce the results of its investigation to the public in a timely manner.
Broader Context
The CCTV Financial Investigation program on July 5 also exposed other forms of weighing fraud, including cheating scales used in gold recycling and general “illegal scales” (违规秤), suggesting a broader crackdown on weighing fraud across multiple sectors in China.
This case exemplifies the Chinese governance model in which state media investigations directly trigger government enforcement actions. The term “ghost scales” has become a recurring issue in Chinese markets, with periodic crackdowns by authorities seeking to protect consumers and honest businesses from fraudulent practices.
What’s Next
The Zhanggong District Market Supervision Bureau has stated that subsequent investigation and handling results will be announced to the public, actively accepting supervision from citizens and media. Outstanding questions include what specific penalties will be imposed on the merchants involved, how widespread this practice is beyond the Gannan Trade Market, and whether the investigation will trace the supply chain of the illegal modification equipment.
The case may also prompt a province-wide or even nationwide crackdown on illegal scale modifications, particularly given Ganzhou’s strategic importance as a logistics hub where even small-scale cheating on truck scales can have significant cumulative economic effects on honest businesses.