Cases highlight need to protect personal data

Police have revealed three cases involving violations of personal information security, urging the public to raise awareness and take precautions to avoid data leaks and potential fraud. The cases, reported by People's Daily, highlight how online channels can be exploited to compromise personal data.

In the first case, a group of suspects allegedly implanted Trojan horse malware into computers at more than 50 companies offering online education and training services.

In September last year, a person surnamed Lu, who worked at an education and training institution, was caught secretly extracting data from colleagues' computers using a flash drive. Lu was said to have admitted to moving between multiple companies in the industry to plant malware and steal data.

Investigators later discovered that Lu was part of a larger criminal network that included individuals who developed, purchased, distributed and implanted the malware.

In the second case, a consumer began receiving frequent telemarketing and scam calls after buying tea from a store on an e-commerce platform.

A subsequent investigation uncovered a criminal chain violating personal data security. According to police, some online store operators sent encrypted customer order information to suspects posing as "agents".

These agents collaborated with employees at delivery companies to decrypt the data. Store operators then paid the agents for the information. Police have detained 18 suspects in connection with the case.

In the third case, police were alerted by an online recruitment platform in June last year after a woman surnamed Tian reported being defrauded of 2,400 yuan ($328) by a company registered on the site.

The platform found that the company's uploaded business license was fake. Police later discovered a criminal organization that had been forging business licenses and luring jobseekers into sharing personal data. Once they received resumes, the group added victims on WeChat, persuaded them to download malicious applications and scammed them out of money.

Authorities said the group obtained contact information for nearly 1,000 jobseekers. They also used other companies' identities to register on seven online recruitment platforms, preventing the actual companies from posting legitimate job ads.

After solving the case, police informed multiple online recruitment platforms to delete fake business licenses sold by the group and uploaded on the platforms' websites.

wangqingyun@chinadaily.com.cn