For online-shopping or secondhand fraud, complain to the platform, report it, then assess a civil claim
Start with the platform’s deposit and enforcement mechanisms, then report suspected fraud. China’s locally set criminal threshold for ordinary fraud falls within a RMB 3,000–10,000 range, so RMB 3,000 is not a universal national threshold. Conduct below the criminal threshold may still receive administrative penalties. A qualifying online-purchase dispute can be brought where the goods were received, and eligible small claims have a two-month target and no ordinary appeal.
What it takes
Platform complaints and police reports are free. For a civil claim of up to RMB 10,000, the basic court filing fee is RMB 50, halved for applicable simplified proceedings, mediation, or withdrawal. Filing, a hearing, and enforcement can each take half a day to a day; online filing may save travel. Keep the order, messages, payment records, and shipping documents. Persistence matters.
What you may gain
The judicial interpretation defines the basic “relatively large amount” for fraud within RMB 3,000–10,000, with provinces setting their figure. The basic criminal offense carries up to three years and a fine, or the other statutory penalties. Below the criminal threshold, administrative fraud can bring five to ten days’ detention or a fine up to RMB 2,000; more serious circumstances bring ten to 15 days and an optional fine up to RMB 3,000. A qualifying online-sales contract dispute may be heard at the delivery location rather than requiring travel to the seller. Eligible money claims below 50% of the previous year’s provincial average annual employee wage use small-claims proceedings: the first-instance judgment is final, with a two-month period from filing. Ordinary simplified proceedings have a three-month period. Civil proceedings may be conducted through an online platform with the same legal effect as in-person proceedings. The cited Civil Procedure Law took effect in January 2024 and the revised public-security law in January 2026.
Context & considerations
To assess whether a claim is worthwhile, multiply your after-tax hourly earnings by the time required, add fees, and compare with the amount at stake. Allow half a day to a day each for filing, a hearing, and possible enforcement, then consider the chance of actually collecting after winning. The revised public-security law moved theft and fraud from former Article 49 to Article 58; small claims appear in Article 165 of the 2023 Civil Procedure Law. Do not rely on old numbering. Prioritizing a platform complaint is practical experience: platform deposits and sanctions may resolve things faster. The procuratorate’s page did not display the 2011 interpretation’s document number, which remains marked for cross-checking against the court’s original page.
Research & references
Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate (2011). Interpretation on fraud cases, Judicial Interpretation 2011 No. 7, Article 1. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/sfjs/201802/t20180201_363736.shtml; National People’s Congress (1997). Criminal Law, Article 266. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/201802/t20180206_364975.shtml; Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (2025). Revised Public Security Administration Punishments Law, Article 58. https://www.spp.gov.cn/spp/fl/202506/t20250627_699863.shtml; Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (amended 2023). Civil Procedure Law, Articles 16, 164, 165, and 168, reposted by Shanghai’s development and reform commission. https://fgw.sh.gov.cn/ys-syjf-zc-2.4.1-h5/20240408/073febdb2b04464390546232d4089f51.html; Supreme People’s Court (amended 2022). Civil Procedure Law interpretation, Article 20. https://www.court.gov.cn/zixun/xiangqing/353651.html; State Council (2006). Court-fee payment measures, Order 481, Articles 13, 15, and 16. https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2008-03/28/content_6929.htm.