Measures to be tougher on cyberfraud

Offenders and those who help them or provide tools will face restrictions

China has strengthened efforts to tackle telecommunications and cyberspace fraud by designing restrictions on not only those conducting the fraud, but also those offering bank or online payment accounts for the fraudsters, as a new guideline was issued on Tuesday.

The guideline, which comprises joint punishment measures for telecommunications and internet fraud and related crimes, was jointly issued by the Ministry of Public Security, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the People's Bank of China, the country's central bank.

According to the guideline, the restrictions will target those who have received criminal penalties for conducting or assisting fraud, as well as people and organizations that sell, rent or lend the accounts and other tools to the fraudsters, including SIM cards, short message service ports and digital renminbi wallets, more than three times.