Abstract
Nowadays, news media provides an important platform for knowledge dissemination of public legal education (PLE) and combating fraud is one of the most important topics in PLE news reports. WAR, ANIMAL and CONTAINER metaphors are three important metaphors that frequently appear in anti-telefraud PLE discourse. The present paper analyzes the role of the three metaphors in English and Chinese anti-telefraud PLE discourse based on the framework of critical metaphor analysis. Specifically speaking, the paper focuses on two research questions: 1) How WAR, ANIMAL and CONTAINER metaphors are used in PLE discourse that serves for anti-fraud activity. 2) Whether, if so, how do the metaphors achieve the function of evaluation and persuasion in PLE discourse. Our analysis shows that WAR, ANIMAL and CONTAINER metaphors construct different metaphor scenarios in anti-telefraud PLE discourse, highlighting different aspects of telecom fraud. Moreover, WAR, ANIMAL, and CONTAINER metaphors, as a very powerful tool for framing reality of telecom fraud and anti-telefraud topic, play an important role in simplifying and facilitating the understanding of telecom fraud and anti-telefraud process; they also enhance the effects of persuasion by its role of expressing “evaluative stances” on the perceived reality.
Highlights
Telecom fraud has become a global issue and of great severity in many countries, causing great property loss
The present paper analyzes the role of the three metaphors in English and Chinese anti-telefraud public legal education (PLE) discourse based on the framework of critical metaphor analysis
Our analysis shows that WAR, ANIMAL and CONTAINER metaphors construct different metaphor scenarios in anti-telefraud PLE discourse, highlighting different aspects of telecom fraud
Summary
Telecom fraud has become a global issue and of great severity in many countries, causing great property loss. The 2017 Annual Fraud Indicator estimates fraud losses to the UK at around £190 billion every year, with the private sector hit hardest losing around £140 billion. The public sector may be losing more than £40 billion and individuals around £7 billion. Another statistic reveals that from 2015 to 2018, the numbers of various frauds, i.e. identity fraud, misuse of facility fraud, application fraud, facility takeover fraud, false insurance claims, asset conversion, all demonstrate an increase. In the year ending June 2019, according to the statistics released by National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB), 740,845 offenses of fraud were reported. 200,000 telecom fraud cases were cracked nationwide, and 163,000 criminal suspects were arrested, up 52.7% and 123.3% year-on-year respectively in 20194
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