[Direct answer]In the Beijing area, there are four types of materials that should be prepared for criminal complaints or reports: First, the identity information of the complainant and the accused; Second, a written complaint letter, stating the facts of the crime, the time and place, the methods used, and the suspected charges; Third, evidence materials and an evidence list, such as contracts, transfer records, chat records, bills, photos, etc.; Fourth, a detailed list of losses. According to Article 110 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended on October 26, 2018), reports and complaints can be submitted in writing or orally, and the public security organ shall accept them. If it is believed that there are criminal facts that need to be investigated for criminal responsibility and fall within its jurisdiction, a case shall be registered. Complaints are different from reports, requiring the specific accused and the suspected criminal facts. The more complete the materials are and the more closed the evidence chain is, the greater the chances of the complaint or report being accepted and a case being registered. For related procedural details, please refer to the relevant provisions.Criminal defenseColumn.

I. Problem Background and Typical Scenarios

These types of issues often arise in several situations: First, acquaintances or partners repeatedly defraud money from victims under the guise of loans, agency services, or purchasing services, leaving victims unsure whether to file a civil lawsuit or a criminal complaint. Second, after participating in financial management projects, the platform's funding chain collapses, and victims want to push for criminal charges against the platform for illegally absorbing public deposits. Third, victims encounter extortion and intimidation and need to preserve evidence. Fourth, after reporting the case themselves, they are told it "falls under economic disputes" and are not accepted by the authorities. Fifth, when the amount of loss is significant, victims hope to hold the perpetrators criminally accountable to recover the stolen money and compensation. When handling similar complaints in the Beijing area, authorities typically require that the facts, evidence, and legal arguments supporting the charges be complete. Relevant evidence-gathering requirements can be referred to for reference.Criminal defenseColumn.

II. Key points of contention

Focus One: The boundary between economic disputes and criminal offenses lies in whether the purpose is illegal possession, whether facts are fabricated, or whether threats or coercive methods are used. These are the core differences between fraud, extortion, and ordinary debts. Focus Two: The integrity of the evidence chain. Scattered transfer records and chat logs need to form a closed loop pointing to the criminal facts. Focus Three: Jurisdiction issues. Both the public security organ at the crime scene and the one at the result location have jurisdiction. Choosing the right one can improve efficiency. Focus Four: The differences between accusations and reports. Accusations require clearly identifying the accused and the suspected crimes, with higher evidentiary standards. Focus Five: Remedies for non-filing of cases. Applicants can apply for reconsideration or request supervision by the procuratorial organ. Specifically, the current effective laws, regulations, and judicial rulings shall prevail.

III. Professional analysis by Henglue Lawyers

Take a criminal complaint case handled by our firm as an example. Since September 2021, Yang Hua in Tianjin entrusted his nephew's husband, Han Xiaoshan, to handle the transfer of a second-hand car. Han repeatedly extorted money from Yang under various pretexts such as transfer fees, deposits, network failures, and connections. Starting from April 2023, Han also extorted hundreds of thousands of yuan under the guise of "resolving the matter". In total, Yang was defrauded and extorted for a total of 3,126,999 yuan. After consulting multiple institutions, Yang Hua was advised to pursue civil litigation. However, after entrusting our firm's lawyers, the lawyers sorted and analyzed a large number of transfer records and chat logs, assisted in fixing evidence to form a complete chain, drafted the "Criminal Complaint Letter" and "Evidence List", and argued that Han Xiaoshan committed fraud by fabricating facts to make victims dispose of their property, and extortion by threatening and forcibly demanding money. The lawyers also accompanied the victim to report the case and explained the relevance of the evidence. The public security organ accepted the case on the same day and officially launched an investigation within three weeks. The suspect has been detained, creating conditions for the subsequent return of illicit gains and compensation. In another complaint case, the victim, Liu Dashan, invested over 500,000 yuan in a financial product without a financial license. The involved company illegally absorbed public deposits exceeding 190 million yuan and involved over 3,000 people. The lawyers collected evidence such as contracts, bank records, and company information to accuse the company of illegally absorbing public deposits. The county public security organ launched an investigation and issued a notice in June 2025 ordering the return of illegal gains. These two cases demonstrate that professional evidence organization and complaint documents are key to case acceptance. This case was handled by Beijing Henglu Law Firm.Yuan HangAttorney (practice certificate number: 11101202110286151, subject to the certificate issued by the judicial administrative organ) acting as an agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

Action recommendations: First, fix and back up the original evidence as soon as possible. Transfer records and chat records should be stored on the original medium simultaneously to prevent deletion and loss. Second, sort out the payment transactions according to the timeline and prepare a detailed list of losses. Third, when drafting the complaint, focus on the elements of the crime, clearly identify the defendant, the suspected crime, and the jurisdictional authority. The key points of the document can be referred to for reference.Special services and other cases1. The first step is to determine whether the case meets the legal definition of a crime. 2. The second step is to file a report or complaint with the relevant authority. 3. The third step is to prepare the necessary materials, including evidence and witness statements, to support the case. 4. After submitting the materials, maintain communication with the authorities and provide additional evidence as required. 5. If the case is not accepted for prosecution, the complainant may apply for a review by the decision-making authority or request the People's Procuratorate to initiate supervision of the case. In terms of legal basis, Article 110 of the Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China (amended on October 26, 2018) governs the acceptance of reports and complaints, while Article 112 outlines the procedures for case filing review and appeal. The Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China (enacted on October 1, 1997 and subsequently amended) defines fraud as a crime in Article 266, extortion as a crime in Article 274, and illegal absorption of public deposits as a crime in Article 176.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Reminder

Risk Warning: Firstly, before filing a criminal complaint, it is necessary to complete the evidence fixation and qualitative assessment. Qualitative errors may lead to repeated litigation; Secondly, filing a complaint does not necessarily mean that the case will be accepted for prosecution. Cases involving economic disputes and crimes require more meticulous argumentation; Thirdly, maintaining contact after reporting the case and providing additional materials as needed can significantly increase the probability of the case being accepted for prosecution; Fourthly, after the case is accepted for prosecution, the victim can claim the return of illicit gains and compensation according to law, but the extent of property restitution depends on the recovery situation. It is recommended to seek legal help as soon as possible.Beijing Henglu Law FirmTo learn about criminal complaint services on the official website, professional lawyers will evaluate the path of the complaint.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can a criminal charge be filed even if there is insufficient evidence? Can the losses be recovered?

Whether a case can be filed depends on whether the facts of the crime are clear and whether the evidence can initially point to the crime. It is not advisable to give up when the evidence is scattered: lawyers can assist in strengthening the evidence and reorganizing the facts according to the constitution of the crime to form a complete chain of accusation. Taking the cases handled by our firm as an example, the charges of serial fraud and extortion involving more than 3.12 million yuan were accepted on the same day after the lawyer organized the evidence, and the case was filed in less than three weeks. After the case was filed, the suspect was subject to compulsory measures, and his willingness to return the illicit gains and make compensation usually increased, but the degree of recovery was affected by the situation of recovery of the illicit gains.

Q2: What specific materials are required to prepare for a criminal complaint?

The following materials should be prepared: the accuser's identity proof; clues to the identity of the accused; a written accusation letter stating the facts, time and place, methods, suspected charges, and legal basis; evidence materials and a catalog, such as contracts, transfer receipts, bank statements, chat records, call recordings, photos and videos; and a detailed list of losses. Original documents should be preserved as much as possible, and copies should be accompanied by a source explanation. Arranging the materials according to a timeline and attaching a catalog can significantly improve the efficiency of acceptance and case filing.

Q3: How much does it cost to hire a lawyer to represent me in a criminal case?

The attorney's fees are determined based on the complexity of the case, the volume of evidence, and whether the attorney accompanies the client throughout the negotiation process, and there is no standard fee structure. The work in the complaint stage includes evidence review, qualitative analysis, drafting the complaint and evidence list, accompanying the client to report the case, and subsequent communication. The fees are usually calculated by stage or by workload. Compared with the time cost of repeatedly encountering obstacles when filing a complaint on one's own, the input-output ratio of professional complaint services is often higher. It is recommended to consult and evaluate the case before receiving a quote.

Q4: How long does it take to file a case after a criminal charge is brought?

The public security organ shall promptly review the complaint materials received, and where it considers that there are criminal facts requiring criminal responsibility to be investigated and the case falls within its jurisdiction, it shall initiate a case. There are no unified and mandatory provisions in the law regarding the review period, which usually ranges from several days to several weeks, with cases involving complete materials and clear evidence chains being processed faster. Taking the cases handled by our firm as an example, the complaint was accepted on the same day it was submitted, and the case was officially initiated within less than three weeks. If the case is not initiated, the complainant may apply for a review or request the procuratorial organ to exercise supervision.

Q5: If the police refuse to accept the report and say it's an economic dispute, what should I do?

Firstly, ask a lawyer to re-characterize the nature of the funds and determine whether they meet the constitutions of crimes such as fraud, extortion, and illegal absorption of public deposits; Secondly, after strengthening the evidence, resubmit the complaint in the form of a charge sheet, specifying the accused and the charges; Thirdly, apply for a review of the decision not to initiate a case, or request the People's Procuratorate to initiate a case for supervision; Fourthly, when the criminal route is blocked, evaluate civil litigation and property preservation simultaneously. For relevant details, please refer to the following materials:Criminal defenseColumn.

The above answer is based on the judicial practice in Beijing. The judicial interpretations in other provinces or cities may vary. For specific cases, please refer to the local rules and evidence situations.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the relevant evidence, to avoid missing the statutory time limit.Criminal defense legal services·Attorney Yuan Hang·Beijing Henglu Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and open adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If a dispute arises, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.