BEIJING, NOV 27 – China will take stricter action against those involved in telecommunications and Internet fraud from December 1, in an effort to curb the increase in the crime, Xinhua reported, citing a statement from the authorities yesterday.
A new guideline, known as “joint punitive measures for telecommunications and internet fraud and related crimes,” was issued jointly by the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and the People’s Bank of China. according to MPS officials.
These guidelines, which will come into effect on December 1, aim to strengthen the enforcement of the country’s telecommunications and online anti-fraud laws.
Telecommunication and online fraud has increased mainly due to the fast-growing underground economy that supports these illegal activities, said Zheng Xiang, Deputy Chief of the MPS Criminal Investigation Bureau.
These black and gray market operators facilitate fraud by renting out or selling SIM cards and bank accounts, trading personal information, promoting online traffic, developing software, and engaging in money laundering schemes, he said.
Zheng said fraud cases are becoming more serious not only due to increasingly sophisticated techniques and evolving tactics, as well as the transfer of operations overseas, but also the ability of fraud syndicates to continue to obtain critical equipment.
These devices include mobile phone cards, Internet of Things (IoT) cards, SMS (short message service) gateways, bank accounts, payment accounts, and Internet identities that are often acquired through purchase, rental, or borrowing in the name of another individual. .
Despite existing legal measures, including the introduction of a criminal offense related to assisting cybercrime in 2015 and strict guidelines in 2021, the problem persists, Zheng said. – Named
