Women and elderly victims of thieves favorite network

The criminal gangs that try to deceive the Chinese to provide them with bank details and other personal information are having their biggest hit with the elderly and women, police said Monday
A raid on Internet crime brought to light bands operating in six counties of the mainland that divert money and electronic communications through Taiwan and Southeast Asian countries to avoid detection.

Most deceive their victims through text messages who claim to be a bank or the police and induce them to call fake numbers to give their bank details. In the West, such practices called "phishing" and are often carried out by junk email.

"The main characteristic of these people is that they are very clever talkers, and also use sophisticated technology," Huang said Zuyua, deputy director of criminal investigation unit of the Ministry of Public Security of China.

Other tricks are very used to using words that entice the victim to a conversation in which information stop uncovered, proposals too good to be true threats if not sent the money, and even false kidnappings, in which the victim who believes he hears his son is fighting or yelling, Huang said.

About 70 percent of the victims are elderly, and another 70 percent are women.

The scams, which initially went to the wealthy inhabitants of the coastal area of the country are moving to the center and inland China. In Beijing you can see many posters reminding people to beware of financial crimes on the Internet.

These gangs operate as businesses, departments in charge of technology and others who perform money transfers.

The lax banking procedures in the country, and the large number of internet services such as insurance, to help ease with which gangs operate, police said.

More than 1,400 people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in these crimes, said Huang