A boss in Fujian was sentenced for "killing the foreign competition."

Recently, Chen was convicted of fraud by the court following a prosecution initiated by the People's Procuratorate of Xianyou County, Fujian Province. Between July and August 2024, Chen and others established a "kill foreign plate" studio in Xianyou County, specifically targeting people from Southeast Asia for telecommunications fraud.

As the main person in charge, Chen managed operations and recruited personnel, using translation software and foreign social media platforms to send over 7,000 fraudulent messages to foreigners.

"When I was arrested, Chen was puzzled, saying, "Chinese do not cheat Chinese, my studio is 'kill foreign plate', and besides, we haven't actually defrauded any money, does this still constitute a crime?" The prosecutor explained, "Defrauding foreigners also constitutes the crime of fraud." The crime is established regardless of whether the victims are Chinese or foreigners, based on the intent to illegally possess, fabricating facts to defraud others of property, and involving a significant amount. Sending over 5,000 fraudulent messages or making calls to more than 500 people qualifies for conviction and punishment for attempted fraud.