China's three top judicial organs issued a guideline on Wednesday (October 14) to clarify the application of the law in "pengci" scam, or extortion cases involving deliberately fabricated accidents or similar scenarios.

The guideline was jointly issued by the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate. For the first time, authorities have defined the "pengci" scam, in which people pretend they have been harmed by another party — such as deliberately crashing a car — and claim for money or property as compensation.

A man pushing a wheelchair, who pretended repeatedly to be crashed down by cars in a typical "pengci" scam, was sentenced to 15-day detention in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. [Gif via CCTV.com]

Pengci frequently occurs and is abhorred by the masses because such fraud and extortion activities not only infringe upon people's rights and interests, but also seriously corrupt social morality. For example, it may cause some people to avoid helping the elderly who fall or have trouble in other situations in case being falsely accused and blackmailed.

The guideline stipulates punishment for the two main types of pengci－fraud and extortion. Other types of crimes such as robbery, theft, vandalism and illegal detention may also fall under the pengci category.

Perpetrators who intentionally or negligently cause harm to others while carrying out pengci scams may be charged with the crimes of intentional homicide, intentional injury, negligently causing others' death and negligently causing serious injury to others, the guideline said.

[Photo/Xinhua]

Authorities will also intensify efforts to crack down on organized crime involved in pengci, as such crimes have increasingly been well organized. 

A relatively stable criminal organization formed by three or more persons for committing such blackmail-related crimes jointly should be considered as a criminal group, the notice said. And the ringleaders and backbones of such criminal groups and those having repeatedly committed the crime and caused serious consequences will be severely punished.

The guideline put forward clear work requirements for public security organs, the procuratorate and the court, asking them to promptly carry out on-site investigations, the collection of evidence, prosecutions and trials involving such cases.

The public is also urged to enhance vigilance and awareness of self-protection to avoid being deceived or victimized, and they are encouraged to report to the police in a timely manner once they encounter such behaviors.

Editor: Becky

Sources: China Daily, Xinhua