A two-month campaign to fight fraud committed through mobile
phone text messages or the Internet has been launched to curb one
of the nation's newest forms of crime.
Zhang Xinfeng, vice minister of public security, said Tuesday
that mobile phones and the Internet have become the most
extensively used channels for exchanging information in recent
years, but some criminals also use them to commit fraud.
"Defrauders usually register a cell phone number with a fake
name and then send false messages by mass mailing to other cell
phone users, telling them they have won prizes in a lottery or they
are offered very cheap smuggled goods," Zhang said.
"Common people are easily tempted by these offers of prizes or
goods, which are usually color TVs, laptops or millions in cash. If
they contact the perpetrators, the latter usually ask them to remit
money to a specified bank account for payment of tax, postage or
insurance fees," Zhang explained.
He said that people who have been scammed range from laborers
and farmers to intellectuals and government officials. The money
they have been cheated out of ranges from a few thousand yuan to
millions. Some have been swindled out of all their bank deposits
and others have even misappropriated public funds to make the
payments demanded by the cheats.
SMS and Internet fraud first appeared in east China's Fujian
Province, but they have spread rapidly in recent years to other
locations, including Guangdong, Hubei, Zhejiang, Hunan and Jiangxi
provinces.
In the past two months, the Fujian police have solved 155 such
cases, apprehending 147 suspects and seizing numerous mobile phones
and bank cards.
"Perpetrators even use SMS to offer phony diplomas and
certificates, fake money, invoices and various types of guns. Some
have shifted to new methods of fraud using the Internet, such as
fabricating an online auction," Zhang said.
Large quantities of fraud messages also cause frequent jams in
communication networks, which affects the normal use of mobile
phones and people's daily contact, he noted.
Zhang said the information industry offices must step up
supervision of phone number registrations as well as text messages.
He encouraged the blocking of junk messages with specialized
technologies. At the same time, financial departments should
intensify monitoring of new bank account openings, while other
sectors should crack down on the making of fake certificates,
diplomas and invoices.
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2004)