Telecom scammers are facing stiff sentences

China's top court has called on judges to severely punish fraudsters using telecom or network technology, after the deaths of two students who were swindled in August.

The number of people scammed by telecom fraudsters has been growing rapidly in recent years, "which not only brings economic losses to them, but also makes them unsafe", says Wang Ling, a spokesperson for the Supreme People's Court.

Wang did not release the precise number of fraud cases heard, but in March the top court said thousands of fraud-related disputes had been filed and tackled in courts last year.

In September, the Ministry of Public Security said the number of telecom scams had risen to 600,000 in 2015 from 100,000 in 2011.

"We've highlighted the fight against fraud and asked all courts to speed up hearing related cases this year, especially after two young people in Linyi, Shandong province, died after being swindled," Wang says.

Xu Yuyu, 18, who was about to enter college in Linyi, died of a heart attack after she was cheated out of 9,900 yuan ($1,490; 1,327 euros) in a call, officials says. The money she lost was what her financially-struggling family had raised for her tuition.

Later, Song Zhenning, another college student in the province, died from cardiac arrest, five days after being swindled out of 2,000 yuan, which was meant to cover his living expenses at the college for three months, according to officials.

Scammers have "seriously harmed people's interests and state security, which can and should be heavily punished in line with Chinese Criminal Law," says Xie Kaihong, spokesman for the Fujian Provincial High People's Court.

Since 2014, courts in Fujian have heard 1,663 fraud-related disputes involving 3,484 offenders, of which 1,553 cases have been concluded and 3,356 led to punishment, according to Xie.

From January to August of this year, the provincial courts have handed down sentences or fines to 895 people for fraud, he says.

An Fengde, spokesman of the Beijing High People's Court, said the court had issued guidelines for municipal courts on sentencing telecom fraudsters.

"Organizers or leaders of a telecom scam gang will get heavier penalties, while people who illegally purchase, provide or obtain residents' personal information will be strictly handled, according to our guideline," An says

In criminal law, people found guilty of fraud can receive a punishment of up to life imprisonment when the amount of money involved is "extremely large", or their offenses lead to "extremely serious results".