Universities move to educate students about telecom fraud

A worker from the Handan Branch of Agricultural Bank of China tells new students how to distinguish telecom fraud at Hebei University of Engineering on their first day at the school.[Hao Qunying/for China Daily]

Universities are taking various measures to warn new entrants about telecom fraud following a recent tragedy in which a college-bound student died after being cheated out of tuition fees which her family had spent months raising.

Xu Yuyu from Linyi, Shandong province, died after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest on Aug 21, 10 days before she was due to begin university life at Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications. The 18-year-old was swindled out of nearly 10,000 yuan ($1,500).

In the wake of the tragedy, many universities have moved to educate new students about telecom fraud.

All entrants to universities and colleges in Jiangsu province will have to pass a computer-based examination, with 60 percent of the content related to telecom fraud. Students who score less than 80 on the test will have to be reexamined, according to Yangzi Evening News.

University students are frequently targeted by fraudsters, with 80 percent of cases in universities involving telecom fraud, Ren Zuping, director of Southeast University's security department, was quoted as saying.

In a handbook for new entrants, the university has included special sections promoting anti-fraud measures and giving information on peer-to-peer lending, Ren said.

In Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, universities have also taken measures to educate against fraud, the Guangzhou-based Xinxi Times reported.

Guangdong University of Foreign Studies has erected anti-fraud banners near campus entrances and put up posters near canteens and dorms.

Guangdong Medical University will invite officers from the local public security bureau to give safety lectures this year. "We want to teach students some anti-fraud skills, especially those related to telecom fraud, and improve students' anti-fraud awareness," Ru Zheng, head of the university's security department, was quoted as saying.

The university will set up a special column to promote anti-fraud awareness via instant messaging platform WeChat.

In addition to anti-fraud education, the city's Jinan University will send messages to students detailing the latest fraud cases.