Joint operation snares 88 cross-border fraud suspects

A group of 88 people suspected of cross-border telecom and online fraud has been busted thanks to the joint efforts of Chinese and Indonesian police, China Central Television reported on Thursday.

All the suspects were recently brought back to China for further investigation after they were captured on Batam Island, Indonesia, the report said.

It revealed that the suspects attracted victims by posting pornographic information online and hired female livestreaming hosts to pose naked and talk with them.

The livestreamers then secretly recorded compromising images of the victims after guiding them to commit indecent acts. They then told the victims that the images would be disclosed if they refused to pay money, the report said.

The victims often transferred money to the fraudsters as they were afraid of being exposed, it said, adding that some of them ran up huge debts and even committed suicide due to the pressure exerted on them.

After following up on clues, the Ministry of Public Security dispatched a team that included police officers from Beijing and Shandong province, to Indonesia on Aug 23. The suspects were arrested on Aug 29 with the assistance of Indonesian police and the Chinese embassy in Indonesia, the report said.

In addition to the suspects, more than 80 computers, 200 mobile phones and a large number of bank cards were also seized in the crackdown, it said.

In more than 40 cases Chinese people claim to be victims of the naked-chat scam related to the gang, the report said.

The ministry said such international crackdowns will continue as the fight against cross-border groups committing telecom and online fraud continues, in order to protect people's personal safety and assets.