Do not write or sell scripts for ticket snatching, flash sales, fake orders, or coupon farming — even if they merely “automate button clicks”
Grade ABig benefitFreedomFreeLittle timeNo willpower
Even if a script does not modify memory or crack anything and only sends requests faster than a person, it can still lead to a conviction; earning 5000 yuan or causing the other side 10000 yuan in losses is enough. Someone used bought 12306 accounts to snatch over 200 tickets, earned over 20000 yuan, and got 1 year 6 months suspended for 1 year 6 months plus a 5000 yuan fine. Someone who sold ticket-snatching software in an online shop paid 20000 yuan for unfair competition.
- Cost
- No expense and no time required
- Benefit
- Illegally accessing computer systems or obtaining their data via any technical means can lead to imprisonment of up to 3 years, a fine, or both; more serious cases incur 3–7 years in prison. The threshold for “serious circumstances” is earning over 5,000 yuan illegally or causing losses exceeding 10,000 yuan. Official cases include a person who used a bot to submit numerous ticket‑purchase requests using purchased 12306 accounts; he snatched more than 200 tickets and earned over 20,000 yuan, resulting in the same sentence as above. Zheng sold ticket‑snatching software for a specific booking app and was ordered to pay 20,000 yuan for unfair competition (national precedent).
- Notes
- Even scripts that do not alter memory or bypass security and merely operate faster than humans still fall under Article 285 of the Criminal Law. Both paid ticket‑snatching services and selling such scripts are considered profit‑generating activities. No official cases have been reported for individuals using such scripts solely for personal use.
Sources · 4
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- 最高人民法院、最高人民检察院 (2011). 关于办理危害计算机信息系统安全刑事案件应用法律若干问题的解释（第一条）. ga.sz.gov.cn/ZWGK/ZCFG/ZCJD/content/post_1304…
- 最高人民检察院 (2026). 上海静安：查办利用外挂软件批量代抢火车票牟利案. spp.gov.cn/spp/dfjcdt/202607/t20260707_731426…
- 最高人民法院 (2025). 2024 年人民法院知识产权典型案例（案例七，抢票软件不正当竞争案）. enipc.court.gov.cn/zh-cn/news/view-4205.html