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Phone swindles pick up: cops
By Ni Yinbin |
June 8, 2010, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI police caught a gang of swindlers who preyed on their victims by telephone, picking off more than 30,000 yuan (US$4,390) from at least 27 victim households.
The police in Qingpu District last month caught 10 suspects with 10 laptops and phones, police said yesterday.
The gang, led by Yao Qiong, who is still at large, used purchased customer information and phoned victims claiming to offer lottery prizes or shopping-credit rewards from a television shopping program.
"Victims were told that they'd won a famous brand watch of 10,000 yuan and could get it after paying the tax fee for 3.98 percent of the original price, about 400 yuan," said Ding Jie, deputy director of Qingpu police.
"But when they made the payment and got the watch, they would find it worth only 30 or 40 yuan."
They got away with it for a while, Ding added, because "each payment was not very big and some victims didn't even call the police."
Since last month, phone scam cases of one form or another have been rising at a rate of 10 to 20 per day, which is almost reaching the peak of last year. Shanghai Public Security Bureau said.
Many of the schemes don't involve products, but rather, elaborate stories in which the victim is ultimately urged to transfer money into another account.
Nine out of 10 victims had been warned by bank staff before completing the remittance, said police, who urged the public to be more vigilant.
"No matter how they change the swindle ways, the ultimate purpose is to get money from you," said Yang Weigen, deputy director of the crime investigation department of the bureau.
"Just remember, no authority would set up a 'safe account' or require citizens to transfer money."
People also cautioned that swindlers often sound convincing because they have detailed information about the victim they're calling, such as name, ID card number and address. Those facts don't imply intimacy; they've often been illegally obtained on the Internet, police said.
The police in Qingpu District last month caught 10 suspects with 10 laptops and phones, police said yesterday.
The gang, led by Yao Qiong, who is still at large, used purchased customer information and phoned victims claiming to offer lottery prizes or shopping-credit rewards from a television shopping program.
"Victims were told that they'd won a famous brand watch of 10,000 yuan and could get it after paying the tax fee for 3.98 percent of the original price, about 400 yuan," said Ding Jie, deputy director of Qingpu police.
"But when they made the payment and got the watch, they would find it worth only 30 or 40 yuan."
They got away with it for a while, Ding added, because "each payment was not very big and some victims didn't even call the police."
Since last month, phone scam cases of one form or another have been rising at a rate of 10 to 20 per day, which is almost reaching the peak of last year. Shanghai Public Security Bureau said.
Many of the schemes don't involve products, but rather, elaborate stories in which the victim is ultimately urged to transfer money into another account.
Nine out of 10 victims had been warned by bank staff before completing the remittance, said police, who urged the public to be more vigilant.
"No matter how they change the swindle ways, the ultimate purpose is to get money from you," said Yang Weigen, deputy director of the crime investigation department of the bureau.
"Just remember, no authority would set up a 'safe account' or require citizens to transfer money."
People also cautioned that swindlers often sound convincing because they have detailed information about the victim they're calling, such as name, ID card number and address. Those facts don't imply intimacy; they've often been illegally obtained on the Internet, police said.
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