Five Arrested In Southwest China for Online Extortion

On Sept. 18, the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Bureau opened a case involving five people suspected of extorting 200,000 yuan (about $30,000) from one enterprise using the “internet water army” method.
Five Arrested In Southwest China for Online Extortion
Students sit an exam in a computer room at a technical school in Jinan, in China's eastern Shandong province on Jan. 29, 2018. BAKER/AFP/Getty Images
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Authorities in Sichuan Province, southwest China, recently introduced a new type of criminal case, involving the notorious “internet water army,” that is, online criminals who post negative reviews and extort money from businesses to have them removed.
On Sept. 18, the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Bureau opened a case involving five people suspected of extorting 200,000 yuan (about $30,000) from one enterprise using this method.
Nicole Hao
Nicole Hao
Author
Nicole Hao is a Washington-based reporter focused on China-related topics. Before joining the Epoch Media Group in July 2009, she worked as a global product manager for a railway business in Paris, France.