Beijing ramps telecom fraud crackdown

Beijing police have resolved over 2,600 cases of telecom fraud and detained more than 3,200 suspects since the beginning of this year, according to the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

These figures represented a 29.2 percent and 24.4 percent increase, respectively, compared with the previous year, the bureau announced at the end of last month, revealing that about 360 million yuan ($50.09 million) in defrauded funds have been returned to victims.

Li Xiaoyan, an official from the bureau's criminal investigation division, highlighted the rise in credit-related telecom fraud cases involving text messages and phone calls. "We are intensifying our efforts to collaborate with the city's cyberspace, telecom, and postal departments to investigate and combat these activities," she said.

She pointed out that scammers have increasingly shifted tactics this year, moving from impersonating bank or financial institution customer service agents to posing as staff from popular internet platforms or courier services.

"For instance, some scammers send text messages to residents with fake delivery information and a phone number, claiming a package is waiting for them at a logistics station," she explained. "Scammers then exploit people's eagerness to receive their packages, enticing them to call the number provided in the messages. Once contact is made, the fraud is carried out".

"This type of scam mimics everyday situations, making it highly deceptive and difficult for people to recognize," she added.

While urging the public to avoid downloading or installing apps from unofficial sources and to be cautious about clicking on links or calling phone numbers in text messages, the police said that they have also begun releasing a list of fraudulent websites and apps every week.

Furthermore, the police have warned against indiscriminately scanning QR codes found on cards inside courier packages and advised against entering sensitive personal information, such as bank card numbers, identity card numbers or phone numbers.