Mainland recovers RMB9.23m in fraudulent funds as gaming-related crimes surge

Mainland authorities have recovered RMB9.23 million in fraudulent funds from Macau, according to the Judiciary Police (PJ).

As part of a wider crackdown on cross-border fraud and money laundering, the police froze 277 bank accounts linked to 45 fraud cases in Macau.

The PJ has returned the seized funds to the victims.

This announcement comes amid a surge in fraud cases in Macau.

From January to May, the police have opened 1,035 fraud cases, marking a 43% increase compared to the same period last year.

During this time, the police arrested 122 suspected members of fraud syndicates.

To combat the rise in fraud, the police have implemented measures such as notifying the banking sector of 249 suspicious bank accounts, freezing funds and issuing early warnings.

The PJ director, Sit Chong Meng, described these efforts as “an effective result by the authorities.”

Most of the 321 fraud cases involved internet fraud, up 12.2% year-on-year, and 221 cases of unauthorized use of credit cards, up 88.9% year-on-year.

Phishing text messages and websites remain the primary sources of credit card data loss.

From January to May, the police and telecom operators cooperated to successfully block 276 phishing websites.

To raise awareness and provide assistance, the Judiciary Police launched a WeChat anti-fraud mini program in April, which had recorded more than 22,000 visits by the end of May.

Meanwhile, the PJ also reported a significant increase in gaming-related crimes in the first five months of 2024, with a 75.5% year-on-year rise.

Between January and May 2024, 579 gaming-related crimes were recorded, a notable jump from the same period in the previous year, the PJ’s data shows.

Loansharking cases rose by 86 in the period, reaching 104.

The PJ noted an uptick in theft and failure to report found objects, primarily occurring in high-traffic gaming districts.

Furthermore, gaming-related fraud cases increased by 52 to 130, with the PJ attributing 66.7% of these incidents to money exchange gangs.

In response, the PJ and the Public Security Police intercepted 1,924 money exchange gang members, 927 of whom were referred to the Gaming Inspection, and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) to be placed on the prohibited casinos list.

Additionally, 30 Macau residents were notified of engaging in illegal money exchanges, which has led the PJ to initiate administrative penalty procedures.

While Macau has not reported any cases of murder or kidnapping in the first five months of 2024, the PJ said social security remains stable despite the growing trend of gaming and tourism-related crimes, as well as an increase in fraud and information-based offenses. Victoria Chan & Nadia Shaw