Prosecutors put heat on telecom fraud

Procuratorial authorities in China have intensified efforts to combat telecom fraud, charging more than 62,000 people involved in related crimes in the first 11 months of last year, the Supreme People's Procuratorate announced on Wednesday.

During the same period, authorities approved the arrests of more than 4,300 fraud suspects returned from northern Myanmar as a result of concentrated operations and prosecuted more than 11,000 repatriated individuals, creating what officials described as a strong deterrent against cross-border telecom fraud.

The SPP said procuratorates in the provinces of Zhejiang, Guangdong and Fujian have handled major cases involving several large cross-border criminal syndicates operating in northern Myanmar. Prosecutors in those regions filed public prosecutions and appeared in court to support charges, while the SPP placed the cases under special supervision and provided full-process guidance.

The courts have since handed down verdicts in cases involving two of the syndicates, sentencing 16 defendants to death with immediate execution, seven others to death with a two-year reprieve and another 16 to life imprisonment.

Du Xueyi, head of the SPP's economic crime prosecution department, said the handling of cases involving criminal syndicates operating in northern Myanmar — and the punishment of their ringleaders — represents a prime example of China's lawful exercise of judicial jurisdiction over serious cross-border crimes, including those led by foreign nationals.

The cases demonstrate China's firm stance on punishing crimes in accordance with the law and its determination to safeguard the lives and property of its citizens, Du said."The cases have effectively upheld China's rule-of-law authority and delivered positive political, legal, social and international outcomes," he said.

In addition to targeting fraud syndicates, prosecutors have also focused on dismantling illegal online industries that provide logistical, technical and financial support to telecom fraud networks. Between January and November 2025, prosecutors nationwide charged more than 29,000 people with assisting information network criminal activities, narrowing operational capacities for fraud-related crimes.

Du added that asset recovery remains a key priority and a major public concern. Authorities have intensified efforts to trace, seize and recover illicit assets linked to telecom fraud cases, including funds, real estate, vehicles and precious metals. They have also strengthened international law enforcement and judicial cooperation to pursue illicit proceeds held overseas.

Multiple measures have been applied to improve recovery outcomes, including encouraging voluntary restitution, applying leniency policies where appropriate and exploring confiscation procedures for illegal gains, with the aim of maximizing the recovery of victims' losses.

To address emerging challenges, authorities have continued to refine law enforcement and judicial standards. In 2025 the SPP, together with the Supreme People's Court and the Ministry of Public Security, issued guidance clarifying conviction and sentencing standards for crimes related to assisting information network criminal activities.

Recognizing that telecom fraud is a global challenge, China has actively promoted international cooperation through bilateral and multilateral mechanisms and participated in negotiations on the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, which it signed in October, Du said.

Telecom fraud is also frequently intertwined with other criminal activities, notably money laundering. Between January and November last year, prosecutors charged 2,684 defendants with money laundering. During the same period, authorities prosecuted more than 93,000 people for concealing criminal proceeds; many of the cases were linked to telecom fraud and online gambling.

Prosecutorial authorities have refined the structure of money laundering prosecutions by focusing on upstream crimes in high-risk sectors, Du said. More than 94 percent of money laundering cases are linked to upstream offenses involving finance, drugs or corruption, while more than 60 percent of cases involving the concealment of criminal proceeds are connected to telecom fraud and online gambling.

In major cross-border cases, prosecutors have worked with relevant departments to uncover laundering networks and apply confiscation procedures, advancing fugitive pursuit and asset recovery, he said.

In 2026, prosecutorial authorities will continue to prioritize efforts to combat money laundering, with a focus on complex schemes, underground banking, laundering related to virtual currency and cross-border crimes, alongside stronger international cooperation on asset recovery, according to the SPP.

yangzekun@chinadaily.com.cn