A multi-departmental circular aimed at clamping down on telecom and Internet fraud has been issued in China. It stipulates that all telephone numbers must be registered with legitimate identification.

By the end of this year, every telephone number in the country will need to be registered with a proper ID.

It's to help authorities identify those who are involved in potential telecom scams. The circular also called for measures to curtail the distribution of software that alters caller ID displays which is used in a typical telecom scam.

Meanwhile, ATM transfers, which used to be immediate, will now take 24 hours.

In a telecom fraud, swindlers often trick their victims into transferring money via ATMs.

So the extension means they will have an opportunity to cancel the transfer, after consulting friends of family.

Better coordination between the police, courts and procuratorates has also been advised.

And, in a show of what's to come, it's urged scammers to turn themselves in by the end of October, or face a more severe punishment thereafter.