Telecommunications fraud networks induce victims to invest in fraudulent platforms and some of the methods they use to gain the victim's trust are posing as investment mentors or building romantic relationships on online dating sites.
These frauds have the highest average amount of losses per individual case, which represents a serious social detriment.
Authorities in the Chinese provinces of Hebei, Anhui, Henan, and Chongqing discovered that several fraud suspects were located in Laos and China sent a team of experts to help authorities in Laos raid 10 locations, shut down 10 operations and arrest the suspects, including nine gang leaders, according to China's Ministry of Public Security. The illegal business by then exceeded one million yuan - about US$137,000.
“The public security agencies will continue to deepen law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries and regions, continue to promote joint crackdowns, focus on capturing the leaders and key members of fraud groups, resolutely curb the high incidence of cross-border telecommunications network fraud, and effectively safeguard the property security and legitimate rights and interests of the people”, said Lou Xian, director of the anti-telecommunication fraud department of the Ministry of Public Security, to Global Times.
In addition to the collaboration with Laos, China's efforts to combat cross-border fraud schemes have resulted in partnerships with countries such as Thailand, the Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. Teams of experts have been sent to these regions to carry out enforcement cooperation.
The country continues to strengthen its efforts to combat this illicit market. On Tuesday, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the Ministry of Public Security of China announced they will continue joining forces to oversee the third round of five large-scale cross-border telecom network fraud cases.
“At present, the situation of telecommunications network fraud crimes is still severe and complex, especially overseas telecommunications network fraud crimes, which have shown new trends and new characteristics, causing serious social harm and bad impact, and the people have reacted strongly”, stated the Supreme People's Procuratorate.
So far, 179 people have been repatriated to China in this crackdown.
