As the government is working on detailed regulations to require personal identification to register a new phone number, China's mobile phone users remain easy targets of fraud artists who can easily avoid detection.

In September, a local citizen surnamed Li reported to police that she received a mobile phone text message informing her that the tax bureau wanted to give her an instant rebate but it required some personal information. After providing the requested data she found her bank account was drained of 1.4 million yuan.

In early October, another local woman surnamed Wu reported that she had been cheated 160,000 yuan by a fake text message that appeared to be from her bank. The message said her bank card was used at a shop and her phone number was given for confirmation.

She dialed the phone number to report that she had never used her bank card at the shop. The person receiving her call then asked her detailed personal information, which she naively provided. Soon after she too found money had been taken from her bank account.

Police said text message fraud artists simply discard their mobile phone SIM cards after making a con and walk into almost any corner store and buy another number. This makes it difficult for police to track down the unscrupulous culprits.

If mobile phone subscribers are required to provide personal identification to obtain a phone number, police say they will have a better chance of catching the criminals.

Police are also warning citizens to be wary of fraudulent messages and not to be greedy when a messages promises rewards for nothing.

Source: Xinhua