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topicnews · October 26, 2024

Police arrest over 4,000 suspects involved in a serious fraud

Police arrest over 4,000 suspects involved in a serious fraud

In a sweeping crackdown, police solved 574 cases of “national asset release” fraud worth 12.95 billion yuan ($1.82 billion), a public security ministry official said on Friday.

The special campaign launched by the ministry in February resulted in the arrest of 4,385 suspects and the dismantling of 247 criminal organizations involved in the crime, Chen Shiqu, deputy head of the ministry’s criminal investigation department, said at a news conference.

The ministry is continuing its efforts to combat the decades-old system in which fraudsters falsely claim they have access to frozen government assets abroad and that those who pay “initiation fees” to unfreeze them receive a huge reward.

In recent years, such scams have taken on new forms, with fraudsters forging government documents, certificates and stamps and tricking large numbers of people online into investing in fake government projects, Chen said.

The criminal organizations also develop special apps to recruit new members while they and their sponsors are in hiding abroad, Chen added. “These tactics are increasingly similar to those used in telecommunications and cyber frauds.”

During this year’s campaign, the ministry oversaw the investigation of 26 key cases.

Typical cases uncovered on Friday included one uncovered this year by police in Jilin City, Jilin Province. Suspects invented a “social housing policy,” developed a fake app and tricked victims into buying “housing tickets.”

According to Liu Hong, deputy head of the city’s public security bureau, the city’s police have arrested more than 400 suspects, including seven who had fled abroad and were referred to Interpol’s Red Notice list, and more than 30 Millions of yuan confiscated and frozen.

The ministry also revealed 50 fraudulent schemes and apps to the public on Friday.

Chen said the ministry will continue to crack down on fraud and make cracking down on the crime a top priority for public security agencies across the country.

Authorities would get to the bottom of the criminal groups’ organizational structure and accelerate efforts to bring their financiers, organizers and agents to justice at the highest levels, he said.

They would also thoroughly investigate apps designed to carry out the fraud, as well as money laundering and wire transfers related to the cases, he said.