Ministry releases details of successful crackdown on telecom and online fraud

Public security organs across China solved 391,000 cases of telecom or online fraud in the first 11 months of last year and captured numerous suspects, the Ministry of Public Security said.

They also engaged in face-to-face discussions with 13.89 million people at risk of becoming victims of fraud, collaborated with other departments to intercept 2.75 billion fraudulent calls and 2.28 billion fraudulent messages, dealt with 8.36 million fraudulent domain names, and intercepted 328.8 billion yuan ($46 billion) of funds related to fraud cases, it said.

The number of telecom fraud cases has decreased since August, indicating significant success in crackdown and governance efforts, the ministry said.

It rolled out several special operations to curb the high incidence of telecom fraud and target criminal groups involved in providing illegal services to overseas fraud groups, including promotion, money laundering, technical development and organizing smuggling. A total of 79,000 suspects involved in such illegal activities were captured in the whole of last year, including 263 backbone members or paymasters of fraud groups.

Task forces were dispatched to countries including Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Indonesia for international law enforcement cooperation, resulting in the dismantling of numerous overseas fraud dens and the arrest of over 3,000 criminal suspects, creating a strong deterrent effect.

In response to the severe telecom fraud situation in northern Myanmar, the ministry deployed public security departments in Yunnan province and other areas to advance border law enforcement cooperation. Multiple operations were conducted to eradicate fraud dens and apprehend suspects involved in fraud.

Public security departments in the provinces of Zhejiang, Liaoning and Fujian and other regions issued arrest warrants for the key leaders of telecom fraud groups in northern Myanmar's Kokang region, targeting the criminal activities of multiple family-based fraud groups that organized and operated fraud dens openly, armed and protected fraudsters, and engaged in long-term telecom fraud against Chinese citizens.

With strong cooperation from various parties in Myanmar, 41,000 telecom fraud suspects were handed over to China last year, and many overseas fraud dens were successfully eradicated, the ministry said.

It has collaborated with other central government departments to promote comprehensive control, strengthen industry supervision, plug regulatory loopholes, and squeeze the space available for illegal activities related to fraud.

In November, the ministry and other authorities released draft Joint Disciplinary Measures for Telecom Fraud and Associated Illegal Activities to solicit public opinion, aiming to advance the fight against such crimes.

Efforts to issue warnings were also stepped up, with the National Anti-Fraud Center issuing 9.4 million alerts.