Cracking down on cybercrimes

Xi tasks regulators with implementing control measures to curb online fraud

Judicial and law enforcement departments have stepped up a crackdown on cybercrimes following a significant increase in cases last year.

Across China, 141,870 people suspected of cybercrimes, including those committed through the Internet and telecommunications channels, were prosecuted last year, a year-on-year increase of 47.9%, according to the latest data from the Supreme People’s Procuratorate.

Online fraud and gambling accounted for 64.4% of cases.

Police cracked 322,000 cases of telecommunications and online fraud last year, arresting 361,000 suspects, data from the Ministry of Public Security showed.

It said 1.6 million fraudulent websites were blocked and 11,000 gangs were busted for crimes that made use of telephones or bank cards.

Losses of at least 187.6 billion yuan (RM118bil) involving 8.7 million potential victims were averted as a result.

Courts nationwide concluded 33,000 cybercrime cases last year, including ones related to fraud, pyramid schemes, gambling and slander.

On Friday, President Xi Jinping called for full implementation of crackdown, prevention, regulation and control measures to resolutely curb telecommunications and online fraud, urging the regulators of sectors including finance, telecommunications, and the Internet to shoulder primary responsibilities.

He also stressed the need to improve the system of laws, public awareness and international cooperation to eliminate the high incidences of such crimes and make new and greater contributions to ushering in a new stage in building a peaceful China and rule of law.

Judicial and law enforcement agencies have encountered many new types of scams in recent years as criminals have exploited the development of Internet technologies. Figures from the top procuratorate showed that the number of cybercrime cases committed through overseas communication platforms and the darknet increased by 70% year-on-year in 2020, with the number of people going overseas to commit cybercrimes more than double that in 2019.

People involved in cybercrimes were generally young, with low education levels and low incomes, it said.

Among those prosecuted for cybercrimes last year, 90% had a high school education or below, and 67% were unemployed.