14 DAY TRIAL // Chinese authorities from the Fengxian district have detained a number of 11 individuals suspected of selling personal information. According to The Global Times, the case involves around 1 billion records.
Police began investigating the case back in June. A gold dealer they were investigating told them that he had purchased the details of his clients from an individual whom he contacted on the QQ instant messaging platform.
After tracking down the seller’s QQ ID and bank information, they were led to a resident of the Guizhou Province.
After they raided the criminal ring, investigators learned that they had been operating since April.
Among the 1 billion personal information records, authorities found the details of some high-end residential compound owners from Shanghai.
It’s uncertain how the crooks obtained the information and who they sold it to, but police believe that they made a profit of more than $320,000 (250,000 EUR).