Chinese procuratorates intensify crackdown on telecom, online fraud

BEIJING -- Chinese procuratorial authorities have beefed up efforts to combat telecom and internet fraud and related crimes.

According to a report released by China's Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP) on Thursday, in the first 10 months of 2023, procuratorates nationwide have prosecuted over 34,000 individuals for telecom and online fraud, marking a 52 percent year-on-year increase.

During the same period, 115,000 individuals have been indicted for illegal activities of assisting in cybercrimes, rising by 13 percent from last year.

Since the start of this year, five significant cases related to cross-border telecom and online fraud have been handled in a joint endeavor by the SPP and the Ministry of Public Security. This collaborative effort has resulted in a heightened crackdown on telecom and online fraud, as well as associated crimes such as human trafficking and intentional injury, the report noted.

The report also highlighted that, since 2023, more than 160 public interest litigation cases have been initiated against illegal activities of neglecting legal obligations in preventing telecom and online fraud in sectors such as telecommunications, finance, and the internet.