The Beijing police have created a "fast response system" to be used when criminals use SMS to cheat banks and their customers.

The police say that the system can be used in cooperation with the police departments of other provinces and it has worked out a series of measures in joint efforts with banks and telecom operators.

In recent months thieves have been using phishing techniques to get passwords and account numbers from mobile phone users through SMS. A thief will commonly send a text message to a random number asking for the receiver's bank details. Thinking that the message came from the bank, the receiver will sometimes provide the thief with enough information for the thief to get into the bank account and take the receiver's money.

Local media report that the police have already closed one hundred telephone numbers that have come under suspicion for being originating points for phishing attacks.

Beijing Mobile says that it will release warning messages via its 1860 message center, and once a suspicious telephone number is identified, it will be closed.

Beijing Tietong also says that it will close a telephone number within one hour following a police report.