Several staff members at a neighbourhood committee in eastern China have been exposed for skipping work by using printed paper masks of their colleagues’ faces to fool a facial recognition attendance system.
The incident took place in Wenzhou City, Zhejiang province, where employees were caught helping each other clock in for work without actually being present.
According to local media reports, a whistleblower surnamed Li reported that multiple staff members at the committee were involved in the scheme. The group allegedly printed photos of their coworkers’ faces, cut them out, and turned them into makeshift paper masks.
By wearing these masks in front of the facial recognition scanner, one person was able to check in for several colleagues, allowing others to skip work while still appearing present in the system.
The trick was eventually uncovered after a CCTV camera installed above the check-in machine recorded staff using the paper face masks.
It remains unclear how many people were involved or how the whistleblower obtained the surveillance footage.
Neighbourhood committees, also known as residents’ committees, are the lowest level of urban administration in China. Their staff members are not civil servants and do not receive government salaries, but they do receive allowances.
Because of this, the incident sparked debate online, with many accusing the staff of abusing a system that still provided them with financial compensation.
“This is corruption. They should all be fired,” one social media user commented.
“Some people work more than 10 hours a day, while others won’t even work eight,” another wrote, referencing China’s well-known “996” work culture.
Others argued that strict clock-in systems may not suit neighbourhood committee work, which often involves visiting residents and handling issues outside the office.
Many online users were shocked that simple paper masks could bypass facial recognition technology.
A 2022 report by Legal Daily previously revealed that low-resolution facial recognition systems can sometimes be fooled by printed face images, which can be purchased online for as little as 10 to 40 yuan.
The case reignited concerns about the reliability of facial recognition systems, especially those used in workplace monitoring.
The incident was reported to higher authorities in October, and officials reportedly promised to respond to the complaint by December 31.
