The suspects first joined WeChat groups for antique aficionados. The ringleader, whose surname is Chen, then advertised items for sale and asked friends to pose as buyers and leave positive comments, police said.
When contacted by potential buyers, Chen asked them to wire money to his account, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, citing the police.
However, once he received the money, Chen allegedly blocked the buyers' WeChat accounts without shipping the items.
Investigation into the scam ring began in February.