Many suspects have been nabbed for allegedly defrauding people across China by asking them, via the mobile phone, to remit cash for tax or other so-called "award-related fees."

In the latest case, Yu Jiansheng and Zhao Fengyuan, both Jiangxi Province natives, were believed to have illegally earned more than 100,000 yuan (US$12,048) by spreading false "prize" messages on mobiles, police said.

Among the victims, a university student surnamed Tang in western China remitted 45,030 yuan as commission fee and tax to "a big company at Jin Mao Tower" after receiving a message which claimed he had won a Japanese sedan worth 180,000 yuan. However, Tang just got "the number you have dialed is power off" when he repeatedly contacted the company.

In another similar case last November, the Shanghai Economic Crime Investigation Team arrested two suspects who allegedly fleeced 1.1 million yuan by sending messages, saying smuggled cars were available at an unbelievablely low price.

The duo, Yi Chun'an and Yi Futai, came from Quanzhou in Fujian Province, police said. A victim lost 680,000 yuan on his credit card when he decided to buy a Mercedes-Benz and a Lexus at the claimed price. In the market, a Benz costs some 1.4 million yuan and a Lexus goes for 700,000 yuan.

In the present case, the suspects made off with 1.1 million yuan in Shanghai and 11 other cities, police revealed.

"The culprits often made use of big companies' reputation in the city to convince their victims, which has hurt Shanghai's image as well as that of the big enterprises," said Zhao Jinyi of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau.

(eastday.com December 9, 2002)