Pervasive online frauds expose multiple loopholes
Updated: 2016-09-09 07:47
By Li Yang(China Daily)
|
|||||||||
Police officers make a list of bank cards seized in a telecommunication fraud case in Xuchang, Henan province, in January. NIU YUAN/CHINA DAILY |
Fraud, like theft, is as old as human history. But in this internet age when information, especially personal information, flows freely fraudsters have become more "skillful". The more technology advances, the easier it becomes for fraudsters to cheat people. For example, a fraudster can send a message to tens of thousands of people at the same time with a single click of the mouse.
But were it not for Xu Yuyu, a college-bound student in Linyi, Shandong province who died recently of a cardiac attack after losing her tuition fees of about $1,500 to a phone fraud, and the attention that her poor family drew, the case would have gone unnoticed like many other small cases that go unreported.
Chinese people lose hundreds of millions of yuan in telecom frauds every year. And some towns in China have become infamous for phone scam gangs.
In fact, Tsinghua University reportedly started conducting security tests on newcomers from this year to prevent potential frauds from enrolling in the institution. Students have to answer about 500 questions on telecom fraud, transportation issues and fire prevention, before they can be admitted. But ironically, while all the anti-fraud measures were being put in place, police said last week that a teacher of the university had lost millions of yuan to a phone scam.
So subjecting students to a "scam test" is not enough-we also need legal measures to tackle telecom frauds.
China has more than 700 million internet users, the largest in the world. Yet while all countries with large populations of internet users implemented a law on personal information protection in the previous decade, China still does not have such a law, let alone legislation on self-regulation of the online industry when it comes to personal information security.
- Fight against telecom, Internet fraud continues
- Universities move to educate students about telecom fraud
- Last two wanted for telecom fraud surrender
- All suspects apprehended following fraud-triggered death: police
- Telecom fraud claims life of another student
- China applauds repatriation of telecom fraud suspects from Kenya
- 40 telecom fraud suspects returned to China from Kenya
- Tuition fraud spread 'rapidly'
- British parliament to debate second Brexit referendum petition
- Chinese women find their way through the glass ceiling
- Rousseff leaves presidential residence in salutation
- Thousands of Chinese rally in Paris to call for 'security for all'
- Xi tells Park China opposes deployment of THAAD in ROK
- Singapore confirms 27 new cases of Zika infection
- Unforgettable moments of Premier Li at ASEAN meeting
- Six policy signals China sent at G20 Summit
- 'First Lady table ware' a hit in Hangzhou
- Paralympics opens in Rio
- Street-straddling bus continues tests
- British man falls for ancient Jiangxi village, buys property
- Post-90s property beauty's daily life
- Freshmen show dance skills during military training
Most Viewed
Editor's Picks
Anti-graft campaign targets poverty relief |
Cherry blossom signal arrival of spring |
In pictures: Destroying fake and shoddy products |
China's southernmost city to plant 500,000 trees |
Cavers make rare finds in Guangxi expedition |
Cutting hair for Longtaitou Festival |
Today's Top News
Trump outlines anti-terror plan, proposing extreme vetting for immigrants
Phelps puts spotlight on cupping
US launches airstrikes against IS targets in Libya's Sirte
Ministry slams US-Korean THAAD deployment
Two police officers shot at protest in Dallas
Abe's blame game reveals his policies failing to get results
Ending wildlife trafficking must be policy priority in Asia
Effects of supply-side reform take time to be seen
US Weekly
Geared to go |
The place to be |