12 common methods of telecommunication fraud

7. Telephone fraud posing as a public prosecutor's office

【Common forms】

"Hello, this is XX Intermediate People's Court, we’ve found out that you have been suspected for money laundering, please..."

Criminals may pretend to be public prosecutors and claim that the victims’ identity information has been embezzled and used for criminal acts such as money laundering, thus demanding that the funds be transferred into state accounts to cooperate their investigation.

8. Phishing website fraud

【Common forms】

“Log in to this website to upgrade your bank card free of charge, making it more powerful and safer.”

On the pretext of online banking upgrading, criminals may require victims to log in to phishing websites of counterfeit banks’ official websites so as to obtain their bank accounts, online banking passwords, mobile phone transaction codes and other information to commit fraud.

9. Telephone arrears fraud

【Common forms】

“Hello, your mobile phone balance is insufficient, in order not to affect your normal use, please transfer to XXX.”

Criminals posing as staff members of communications operators may call victims or directly play an automated message, demanding the owed funds to be transferred to designated accounts.

10. Loan fraud

【Common forms】

“Hey guys, are you short of money? The interest is low and you will get it soon.”

Criminals may send mass messages claiming that they can provide loans to those who are short of funds, with low monthly interest rates and no need for guarantees. Once the victims believe it to be true, the criminals will commit fraud in the name of prepaid interest, deposit and so on.

11. Fictitious surgery fraud

【Common forms】

“Your father just fell down. I will take him to the hospital and hospitalization fee is in urgent need! Transfer quickly.”

Criminals may fabricate that the victims' children or parents need urgent operation or first-aid because they had an accident or sudden attack of disease. Then the criminals will ask the victims to transfer money for treatment immediately. In this case, the victims tend to get panic and transfer the required funds to the designated bank accounts.

12. Pseudo base station fraud

【Common forms】

“Dear user, your points in our mall have been redeemed for XX yuan cash gift pack. Please log in wap.xxx.com to download and activate the app to collect them.”

Criminals may use fake base stations to send false links to lure the victims to exchange points for cash in the mall. Once the victims click on their mobile phones, they will insert Trojan horse virus to obtain their bank accounts, passwords and mobile phone numbers.