Applying the SARA Model of Problem-oriented Policing to Combat Telecom Fraud: Insights from Shenzhens Policing Practices

Telecom fraud, characterized by its non-contact nature, technological adaptability, and transnational reach, poses unique challenges to traditional law enforcement, including difficulties in tracing digital trails, rapid capital transfer, and fragmented inter-agency collaboration. By analyzing the characteristics of telecom fraudsuch as technological sophistication, transnationality, and psychological manipulationand integrating insights from existing literature, it examines how Problem-oriented Policing (POP)s proactive, problem-specific framework can address inherent challenges like fragmented collaboration and rapid fund dissipation. The research mainly takes Shenzhen as an example and combines relevant police incident cases from other cities in China. The aim is to utilize the problem-oriented policing theory to analyze the issue of telecommunications fraud crimes and based on the analysis results, propose corresponding prevention, governance, and improvement policies. It establishes a connection between the theoretical policing model and the real anti-fraud practice, providing a practical, feasible, and evidence-based model for anti-telecommunications fraud strategies, thereby reducing the crime rate and the harm to society.