(FAN JUN)

A policeman in Shanghai checks a computer used to spam cellphone users on January 15.

Chinese mobile users received over 300 billion pieces of SMS spam last year, based on analysis of 270 million complaints, the People's Daily reported on April 12.

Sales promotions accounted for 65 percent of the total, while real estate advertisements took up 15 percent. Beijing mobile users received an average of 2.22 junk messages each day.

The messages are sent via fake base stations—unlicensed telecommunications installations that allow criminals to send spam to nearby mobile users with fake phone numbers or disguised as communications from government departments, telecoms operators or banks.

The report said that a campaign against spam at the end of last year successfully reduced such messages by over 50 percent in November and December 2013.