BEIJING: Chinese prosecutors pledged on Thursday to step up efforts against telecom fraud this year, with a focus on recovering financial losses and tackling the crime at its roots to better protect people’s property and safety.
Du Xueyi, head of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate’s division on economic crimes, said telecom fraud remains a severe and complex issue, particularly as cases originating overseas continue to rise despite China’s intensified crackdown. “Telecom fraud has evolved into a cross-border, monopolistic and organized crime,” Du said. “Some criminals have established ‘industrial parks’ or ‘science and technology zones’ overseas to recruit and control people, forming large-scale criminal organizations.”
To combat the crime, Chinese prosecutors have implemented various measures to deter scammers and raise public awareness of fraud prevention, he said. From January to November 2024, more than 67,000 individuals were indicted on telecom fraud charges, a 58.5 percent increase year-on-year, according to official data.
A nationwide campaign last year led to the repatriation of more than 40,000 individuals suspected of involvement in cross-border telecom fraud operations in northern Myanmar, of whom more than 29,000 have been prosecuted as of November, the data showed. –The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
