On Nov 19, the Supreme People's Court (SPC) held a press conference to release a special report on a big data analysis of cybercrime as well as ten typical criminal cases involving swindles committed through telecom networks.

Luo Guoliang, deputy head of SPC's Third Criminal Tribunal and Sun Fuhui, deputy head of SPC's Information Bureau, spoke at the press conference which was hosted by SPC Spokesperson Li Guangyu.

According to Sun, most of the data in the report are from the big data management and service platform for people's courts which analyzed the criminal cases concluded with first-instance verdicts by courts at all levels across the country.

The report shows that a total of 48,000 cybercrime cases were concluded between 2016 and 2018, indicating that both the total number of such cases and their proportion in total criminal cases are on the rise.

Most of the cases happened in the southeastern coastal areas with ten provinces including Fujian, Zhejiang and Shanxi registering more such cases than other places in China. The proportions of such cases happening in these ten provinces are above the national average.

Over 40 percent of cybercrimes were committed by groups consisting of at least two accomplices while three-fourths of the defendants were aged between 20 and 40.

Swindling is the most committed cybercrime, accounting for over 30 percent of all such offences.

Luo said that the number of new types of crimes committed through information networks is rising and so is the number of swindling crimes. Swindles committed through telecom networks have become a public hazard infringing upon the security of citizens' property.

People's courts have always severely punished such crimes and their up and down-stream crimes and are now resolutely cleaning them from cyberspace.

Sun Fuhui, deputy head of SPC’s Information Bureau, speaks at the press conference. [Photo/court.gov.cn]

Luo Guoliang, deputy head of SPC’s Third Criminal Tribunal, speaks at the press conference. [Photo/court.gov.cn]