Telefraud still serious, but declining

The recent rise of telecom fraud has been curbed, but the intensified crackdown will continue in tandem with the comprehensive approach to governance and prevention, authorities said on Thursday.

The number of registered cases of fraud has decreased for nine consecutive months since June last year. In addition, police nationwide resolved 394,000 cases, and arrested 634,000 suspects, figures that were up 28.5 percent and 76.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry has worked with other judicial and administrative departments to target each step of fraud, including perpetrators trying to leave the country to commit crime and those who purchase phones and bank cards belonging to other people to mask their activities, said Du Hangwei, Vice-Minister of Public Security.

"Big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other technological means have been fully integrated with deterrence and management to prevent the public from being cheated," Du said.

Via push notification warnings and collecting clues, authorities helped 61.78 million people avoid being deceived this past year. They also intensified countermeasures and established a rapid, dynamic mechanism that blocked 1.95 billion fraudulent calls, 2.14 billion short messages and 2.106 million fraudulent domain names and websites, and stopped payment of 329.1 billion yuan that may have been involved in fraud.

Du said public security organs have vigorously promoted source control, education and persuasion, and persuaded 210,000 people involved in fraud to return to China during the last year. The number of people committing fraud against Chinese abroad has also significantly decreased.

Strict exit control measures have been implemented, effectively cutting off border smuggling, and preventing a large number of people involved in fraud from attempting to leave China to engage in fraud abroad, he said.

Liu Zhongyi, head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said the rapid rise in cases has been curbed, but that telecom fraud remains grim and complex, and that the intensified crackdown and comprehensive governance should remain active.

Telecom network fraud has become the dominant crime in recent years, and has become a global problem. Gangs use tailored scripts based on personal information to commit their crimes, and police have discovered more than 50 different categories of fraud, including phony investments and financial management, fake online loans and customer service, Liu said.

To bolster legal support, the Legislative Working Committee of the National People's Congress are accelerating legislation of the Anti-Telecom and Internet Fraud Law.

The recent rise of telecom fraud has been curbed, but the intensified crackdown will continue in tandem with the comprehensive approach to governance and prevention, authorities said on Thursday.

The number of registered cases of fraud has decreased for nine consecutive months since June last year. In addition, police nationwide resolved 394,000 cases, and arrested 634,000 suspects, figures that were up 28.5 percent and 76.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The ministry has worked with other judicial and administrative departments to target each step of fraud, including perpetrators trying to leave the country to commit crime and those who purchase phones and bank cards belonging to other people to mask their activities, said Du Hangwei, Vice-Minister of Public Security.

"Big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence and other technological means have been fully integrated with deterrence and management to prevent the public from being cheated," Du said.

Via push notification warnings and collecting clues, authorities helped 61.78 million people avoid being deceived this past year. They also intensified countermeasures and established a rapid, dynamic mechanism that blocked 1.95 billion fraudulent calls, 2.14 billion short messages and 2.106 million fraudulent domain names and websites, and stopped payment of 329.1 billion yuan that may have been involved in fraud.

Du said public security organs have vigorously promoted source control, education and persuasion, and persuaded 210,000 people involved in fraud to return to China during the last year. The number of people committing fraud against Chinese abroad has also significantly decreased.

Strict exit control measures have been implemented, effectively cutting off border smuggling, and preventing a large number of people involved in fraud from attempting to leave China to engage in fraud abroad, he said.

Liu Zhongyi, head of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said the rapid rise in cases has been curbed, but that telecom fraud remains grim and complex, and that the intensified crackdown and comprehensive governance should remain active.

Telecom network fraud has become the dominant crime in recent years, and has become a global problem. Gangs use tailored scripts based on personal information to commit their crimes, and police have discovered more than 50 different categories of fraud, including phony investments and financial management, fake online loans and customer service, Liu said.

To bolster legal support, the Legislative Working Committee of the National People's Congress are accelerating legislation of the Anti-Telecom and Internet Fraud Law.