It's always a nuisance for cell phone subscribers to receive a junk message, but the question is how the unknown senders get their numbers? The Shanghai police have recently cracked down a fraud group, which held a long list of detailed personal information about shareholders.

A commentary in the People's Daily says that the case is a clear signal for the society and departments concerned to take tougher measures to protect citizens' private information.

The paper reveals that the fraud group bought the data of shareholders from an online chatting tool and sold it for their own profit.

As the Internet is playing an increasingly important part in people's daily lives, it has also provided easier access to people's private information. An online survey shows that nine out of ten people have complained to have their personal information leaked.

In view of the situation, the newspaper suggests that the public stay alert to potential danger, and the government should take concrete measures to ensure the safety of personal information and propose tougher punishment for those convicted of related crimes.