Arrest of fraudster highlights loopholes for stolen cards
The arrest of a suspect from Southwest China's Sichuan Province for fabricating and selling identification cards online has highlighted a gray area of China's ID card law that allows lost cards to still be used.
The man surnamed Yang told police he had profited by more than 20,000 yuan ($2,900) by illegally trading 200 ID cards from July 2016 to February 2017, the Yangtze Evening Post reported on Sunday.
Yang received lost or stolen ID cards for 50 yuan apiece and resold them for up to 400 yuan each online, the report said.
Yang was put into custody by local police in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province.
Information can still be tracked through electronic chips in ID cards even after they are reported lost by their owners, and the card cannot be cancelled like a bank card, Yin Ji, a local policeman in Hudong police station, Suzhou, was quoted by the Yangtze Evening Post as saying.
"It is a blind spot, that many think their ID is safe after reporting the loss," Yin explained, adding that a lost card could drag the owner into a dangerous position. Their financial and banking information is potentially open to the public, and their identity risks being taken by the criminals. Many suspects hide their real identity and escape inspection with bought ID cards.
Yang said that the most popular ID cards are from those born between 1970 and 1980, because many netizens' ages fall into that range.
Suzhou police busted Yang in his residence after receiving a tipoff, and discovered 122 ID cards, four smart phones and many bank cards.
According to the Criminal Law, anyone who fakes, buys or sells ID documents, including passports and driving licenses, faces up to seven years in prison, arrest or deprivation of their political rights, and will be fined.
People who use deceptive ID will also be fined up to 1,000 yuan by public security departments, or put into custody for no more than 10 days.
People have poor awareness regarding personal information security, one of the reasons why the peddling of ID cards is rampant, Yin noted.
Loose inspection from the government also offers opportunities for suspects to falsely use ID cards, Yin added.
Residents should immediately report to the police after their ID is lost and apply for a public reissue statement, in case their ID card is falsely used.
