Overseas Chinese warned of cross-boarder telecom fraud

China was once called the world factory. It exported all kinds of manufacturing products.

But the country's people may have never thought that telecom fraud would become one of these exports.

The latest cross-border fraud has targeted Chinese people living overseas.

Official warning

During Wednesday's Ministry of Foreign Affairs regular press conference, spokesperson Hua Chunying warned overseas Chinese about the possibility of becoming a victim of fraud.

Hua warns overseas Chinese of the frauds at a MOFA press conference in Beijing on August 16, 2017. /MOFA Photo

The cheats usually pretend to be Chinese officials working at local embassies and consulates, and call people to tell them false alerts like "your passport is outdated," "your credit card was used by someone else," or even "you are involved in an International criminal case!"

The cheats then provide a bank account for victims to transfer money to "avoid the trouble."

Hua added that many of China's embassies and consulates are already issuing warning message to local Chinese people about the cons.

"If you have any questions, please contact the embassies and consulates directly for correct information," she said.

Deflecting fraud

Despite the Chinese government's efforts to crack down on telecom fraud, like this one and this one, the rise in such crime has not been reversed.

The money lost in the frauds during April to June this year increased more than 40 percent compared to last season, according to data released by both Tencent and Qihoo 360.

More and more cyber-security firms in China have realized that cheats are now equipped with sophisticated technology and that they are working in a collaborative manner.

But these new trends can only help them with the success rate, not the evasion rate.

Thanks to big data technology, it's becoming easier to catch fraudsters.

And the cyber-security researchers are also developing better tools to track them, according to various speakers at the Cyber Security Summit (CSS) 2017 concluded in Beijing today.

Experts discuss fraud-prevention at the CSS 2017 in Beijing on August 15, 2017. /CGTN Photo