Cross-Border Telecom Fraud: 20 Defendants Sentenced in Hangzhou

In a major cross-border telecom fraud case involving the Golden Triangle region, the Xiacheng District People's Court in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, recently concluded the first-instance trial. All 20 defendants were convicted of fraud and illegal border crossing and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from one year and one month to three years and nine months, with fines ranging from 9,000 to 35,000 yuan. No defendants were granted probation. The gang operated like a company, luring targets with high-paying job offers or enticing them into fake investment platforms. They used methods such as 'pig butchering' romance scams and sextortion to defraud victims.