Kong Yiying, an online shopping zealot, was surprised when she saw a new-type of insurance that has been available on the Internet since last weekend.

The new insurance specializes in the coverage of legal costs for good Samaritans who get blackmailed after helping people who appear to be in need. It has been sold through Alibaba-backed Alipay, China's leading third-party online payment provider.

"It's the first time I saw this kind of insurance sold online. It's an echo of a hot public issue," said Kong, 27, a resident of Guangzhou, Guangdong province. "It sounds interesting."