A highly organized hospital appointment scalping ring in Shenyang, China, has been dismantled by local police, revealing a sophisticated operation that exploited both technology and insider knowledge. The syndicate, which had been active for six months, allegedly stole over 7,500 appointments and amassed illegal profits exceeding 510,000 yuan. The group targeted desperate patients struggling to secure slots at top hospitals in the Liaoning provincial capital, where online appointments vanished within seconds and offline queues were interminable. The crackdown began in August when Shenyang police detected unusual activity in hospital registration systems. A month-long investigation uncovered a criminal network involving nine scalper gangs and 75 individuals operating a three-step scheme: snatch, hoard, and resell appointments. The gang’s methods were particularly insidious, with over 20 core members being former patients or caregivers who knew precisely when new appointments went live. To amplify their gains, the scalpers hired software developers to create plug-ins that hacked into hospital registration systems, allowing them to preset patient information and automatically snatch slots. These illegal tools were sold for tens of thousands of yuan, enabling some scalpers to earn between 10,000 to 20,000 yuan monthly. The gang operated like a well-oiled machine, with members specializing in various roles, from buying software to actively prowling hospitals for customers. Non-local patients, desperate to avoid delays, were hit with the highest markups, sometimes paying several thousand yuan extra. In September, a cross-region manhunt led to the arrest of all 75 suspects in cities including Guangzhou, Yantai, and Huludao. Ten suspects face charges of destroying computer information systems, while 65 others received administrative penalties. Following the bust, Shenyang police urged hospitals to upgrade their registration systems and monitor for abnormal traffic. Authorities are also using video patrols to spot scalpers early and have collaborated with internet firms to remove scalper ads, effectively cutting off their ability to find customers.