The amount plays a very important role in the investigation of financial fraud crimes by public security organs. Whether there is a specific amount is the standard to determine whether to pursue criminal responsibility as a criminal offence of fraud.
Whoever defrauds public or private property in a relatively large amount shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or public surveillance, and shall also, or shall only, be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than 10 years, and shall also be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or confiscated.
To sum up, criminal offences can only be filed for prosecution if they reach the legal amount. If it reaches the legal amount, it does not constitute a criminal offence, and it can only be investigated for corresponding civil or administrative responsibility as a general illegal act.
Legal basis: Article 266 of the Criminal Law of People's Republic of China (PRC) defrauds public or private property, and if the amount is relatively large, it shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention or public surveillance; If the amount is huge or there are other serious circumstances, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; If the amount is especially huge or there are other especially serious circumstances, he shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than 10 years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or confiscated. Where there are other provisions in this Law, such provisions shall prevail.
Explanations of the Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate on Several Issues Concerning the Specific Application of Laws in Handling Criminal Cases of Fraud Article 1 Whoever swindles public or private property in an amount of more than 3,000 yuan but less than 10,000 yuan and more than 30,000 yuan but less than 100,000 yuan shall be deemed as "large amount", "huge amount" and "especially huge amount" as stipulated in Article 266 of the Criminal Law respectively.