(아시아) 다수의 폰 사기로 골치를 앓는 중국과 대만

출처: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36108762

The massive phone scam problem vexing China and Taiwan (scam: 사기) (vex: 성가시게 하다, 짜증나게 하다)

• 22 April 2016
 
• From the sectionAsia

Image copyrightAFP/Getty Images

Image captionThe phone scam has reportedly cost mainland Chinese victims billions of yuan

A recent diplomatic row between Taiwan and China has cast light on a massive international telecoms fraud problem. (diplomatic row: 외교적 갈등 대립) 

It is said to involve thousands of scammers, some of them pretending to be government officials to extract money from victims. (extract: 발췌하다 뽑아내다 여기선 갈취하다의 뜻)

The scam has reportedly cost mainland Chinese victims billions of dollars and to have driven some to suicide.

Earlier this month a group of suspects, including Taiwanese, were deported from Kenya to China, angering Taiwan.

On Friday, Chinese officials said those 45 Taiwanese suspects will face trial on the mainland, refusing Taiwan's request they be sent back to Taiwan. (밝은 하늘: 대만 피의자들을 대만당국에 인계하지 않고 중국본토의 법정에 세우겠다는 건 대만 법을 무시한 행위가 아닐까?.)

How big is this fraud?

Image copyrightAP

Image captionA group of Chinese and Taiwanese suspects were deported from Kenya to China earlier this month

Both China and Taiwan have for several years been pursuing suspects in what appears to be a huge scam operation, in terms of both scale and spread.

In comments released to state media, China's public security ministry said it believed the scammers were operating mostly out of South East Asia, Africa and the Pacific Islands. Besides the Kenya case, there were also recent arrests in Malaysia.

The officials claimed to have arrested 7,700 telecoms fraud suspects, of which about 4,600 are Taiwanese, in South East Asia in the past seven years - since they signed a formal agreement with Taiwan to jointly tackle crime.

Many of the other suspects are said to be Chinese.

The scammers have made staggering amounts of money - one of the worst cases saw a person in Guizhou city tricked out of 1.17 billion yuan (£126m; $180m) last December. (stagger: 충격받아 비틀거리게 하다)

Many of the victims are elderly, along with teachers, farmers, manual labourers, and students. Officials added that the scams had bankrupted families and businesses, driving "many victims" to suicide.

What are the scammers doing?

Image copyrightReuters

Image captionVictims are contacted over the phone or on popular messaging apps like WeChat

It has been difficult to ascertain if the criminals belong to the same ring or are separate syndicates, but their techniques have been similar.

They usually contact victims over the phone or on popular messaging apps like WeChat and QQ, and their main ruse involves pretending to be a public security official telling the victim he or she is suspected of money laundering and needs to transfer more money for investigations. (ruse:계략) (범죄수법1)

Other methods reported (in Chinese) include scammers pretending to be insurance agents or employees of online shopping sites. (범죄수법2)

In February, China's public security ministry released a warning to the public listing 48 types of telecoms scams, which also include hacking victims' messaging accounts to obtain their banking details. (범죄수법3)

Why is it causing controversy now?

Image copyrightAFP/Getty Images

Image captionEarlier this month Taiwanese reporters were given a video clip allegedly showing the Taiwanese suspects under detention by Kenyan authorities

The Chinese authorities' comments indicate that previously, when suspects were nabbed for committing crimes in a third country, both sides would separately deal with their own suspects. (nabbed: nab의 과거형. 붙잡다. 체포하다)

But now Taiwanese suspects have been deported to the mainland, instead of their home, to face charges. This has angered Taiwan, which has accused China of "extrajudicial abduction". (밝은 하늘: 대만의 피의자를 대만이 아닌, 중국본토로 데려간 것은 대만이 분노할 만한 사건이다. 제3자가 봐도, 도저히 말도 안 되는 난센스다.)

China regards Taiwan as a breakaway Chinese province not an independent country. (밝은 하늘: 중국이 대만을 중국의 일개 성으로 간주한다는 이 점도 말이 안 되는 소리다. 중국이 신중국 선포식을 거행하던 1949년 10월1일(?)인가 그 때 장개석이 공군을 동원해 천안문 광장을 폭격했으면, 지금의 중국도 없었을 거고, 모택동을 비롯해 전부 죽었다. 개구리 올챙이적 생각을 못하고 기고만장한 중국은 ..... 언젠가 교훈을 얻게 될 것이다)

It insists it has jurisdiction over the Taiwanese as their suspected victims have all been mainland Chinese.

It also claims that in many cases, Taiwanese suspects often go unpunished by Taiwanese authorities and the scammed amounts thus cannot be recovered.

Earlier this month China criticised Taiwan for releasing a group of Taiwanese suspects arrested in Malaysia.

Correspondents say the dispute is likely to sour already strained cross-strait relations. (strained cross-strait: 뒤엉켜 곤란해진) (strait: 곤경)

The move by China is also seen by some as yet another sign of heavy-handedness, after the recent suspected abductions of five Hong Kong booksellers.