China has stepped up its efforts to crack down on telecom and online frauds in a bid to combat such rapidly rising illegal activities.

Police across the country cracked 322,000 cases of telecom and online frauds last year, arresting 361,000 suspects, data from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) showed.

Besides, 1.6 million fraudulent websites were blocked and 11,000 gangs were dismantled for perpetrating criminal activities using telephones or bank cards, the data added.

A cumulative loss of at least 187.6 billion yuan (about 28.68 billion U.S. dollars), involving 8.7 million potential victims, was averted as a result.

STRINGENT ACTIONS

Thanks to a holistic approach of clampdown, precaution and regulation, a tightly-knit safety net was forged that prevented many people from being deceived.

The number of cases cracked by Chinese police forces in 2020 rose by 61 percent from the previous year, while the number of apprehended suspects increased by 121 percent year on year.

Judicial and law enforcement agencies have spotted rampant and multiple new types of scams in recent years as the development of internet technologies is further accelerating changes in criminal means.

The MPS, together with the Cyberspace Administration of China, have launched a big data platform, an app, and a fraud alert hotline to intercept and block fraudulent contents. A total of 140 million phone calls and 870 million text messages involved in fraudulent activities have been intercepted so far.

The country's central bank and telecom regulators and operators have also launched special campaigns to plug loopholes and rectify malpractices to address fraud at its source. Liu Zhongyi, an MPS official, has assured that such stringent measures would continue.

Big data analysis will be applied, regulations will be tightened and special campaigns will be launched in the future to crack down on criminal rings that engage in sales of personal data, development of fraudulent websites and creation of financial channels for money laundering, the MPS added.

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