China reveals 10 most common scams as awareness campaign begins

BEIJING, June 25 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Public Security on Tuesday revealed the 10 most prevalent telecommunication and cyber scams in the country, a day after it co-initiated a monthlong nationwide fraud awareness campaign.

The ministry said the average age of telecom and cyber fraud victims in 2023 was 37, with 62.1 percent of victims aged between 18 and 40, and 33.1 percent between 41 and 65.

Nearly 88.4 percent of all telecom and cyber fraud cases reported across the country involved 10 common scam types, including false investment schemes, fake online shopping, the impersonation of e-commerce logistics support, and fake credit repair services.

Brushing scams and click-farm jobs topped the list, often luring students and people in low-income groups with promises of earning easy money by completing online tasks before demanding payments. A victim of one such scam in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu lost over 420,000 yuan (about 58,968 U.S. dollars).

By publicizing typical cases of fraud and the latest scam tactics, authorities aim to improve the public's awareness of fraud and ability to prevent it.