Telecom and online fraud cases fall for eight consecutive months

China has seen the number of telecom and online fraud cases decline year-on-year for eight consecutive months since October 2025, a senior police official said on Friday.

Zhu Lei, deputy director of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security, said at a news conference that authorities have stepped up investigation, industry regulation, technical countermeasures, public education, dissuasion and international cooperation since 2025.

China has worked with relevant countries to clear large gambling and fraud compounds in Myanmar and Cambodia, and captured several major leaders of cross-border gambling and fraud groups, Zhu said.

Telecom and online fraud is a typical form of transnational organized crime and remains a global problem, as well as a major issue affecting people's sense of security in China, he said.

Despite progress, such crimes remain stubborn and recurrent, with cases still occurring frequently. The 10 most common types of telecom and online fraud, including rebate scams, online investment and wealth management scams, impersonation of e-commerce and logistics customer service staff, loan and credit scams, online dating scams, and impersonation of law enforcement officers, accounted for 85 percent of all telecom and online fraud cases, Zhu said.

Rebate scams are the most common, accounting for 25 percent of all cases, while fake online investment and wealth management scams cause the biggest losses, accounting for about 40 percent of total losses.

Zhu also warned of new trends in fraud tactics. More criminals are now finding victims through internet platforms instead of phone calls or text messages. They use social networking, short-video livestreaming, e-commerce, life services and online gaming platforms to post information, interact in comments, send private messages, or lure users into chat groups through QR codes. Such online diversion methods now account for 66 percent of cases. In some cases, criminals embed QR codes in short videos and use prizes as bait to trick people into joining groups before defrauding them.

Fraudsters are also using lesser-known communication apps to avoid early-warning systems and manipulate victims. After making initial contact, they often persuade victims to download such apps and use scripted conversations to win trust. In one case, a victim in Hebei province was lured into transferring 1.6 million yuan ($236,000) to a fake investment platform after being persuaded to use such an app.

Zhu said criminals are also using fraud apps with screen-sharing and call-forwarding functions to steal money remotely. Once installed, such apps can give criminals access to a victim's phone, bank account information, passwords and verification codes.

In Guangdong province, a victim's bank card was repeatedly charged after he clicked on an unknown link and downloaded such an app under the guidance of fraudsters.

Another emerging tactic is the use of cash, gold and other valuables to obtain and transfer illicit funds. As financial management has tightened, criminals increasingly persuade victims to withdraw cash or buy gold, phones, watches and other valuables, then send them to designated places or hand them over to designated people. In Zhejiang province, a victim in a fake investment scam was tricked into buying gold several times and handing it to people arranged by the fraud group, losing several million yuan.

Zhu urged the public to stay alert to changing fraud tactics and avoid transferring money, downloading unknown apps, or sending valuables under instructions from strangers online.