Criminal Law Identification and Regulatory Pathways of Concealed Pyramid Selling Crimes under the Background of Social E-Commerce
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: 随着社交电商的迅猛发展，其去中心化、低门槛与传播快等特性为隐性传销活动提供了新土壤。隐性传销常伪装为“消费返利”“社群营销”等新型商业模式，隐蔽性强、识别难度大，严重扰乱市场秩序并侵害消费者权益。本文在梳理社交电商及隐性传销定义与发展现状的基础上，指出当前隐性传销犯罪在运行模式、作案手段、涉案人员分布等方面的新特征，揭示其刑法识别所面临的难点。在此基础上，提出包括大数据预警监测、传销用语信息库建设、资金流查控、多元社会治理、宣传教育与完善法律规制在内的综合治理路径，旨在为隐性传销犯罪的有效识别与刑法规制提供理论支持与实践参考。With the rapid development of social e-commerce, its decentralized structure, low entry barriers, and fast information dissemination have created fertile ground for covert pyramid selling activities. These schemes are often disguised as innovative business models, such as “consumer rebates” or “community-based marketing”, making them highly concealed and difficult to identify. Such activities significantly disrupt market order and infringe upon consumer rights. Based on a comprehensive review of the definitions and development of social e-commerce and covert pyramid selling, this paper identifies new characteristics of these crimes, including virtualized operations, sophisticated techniques, and wide participant distribution. It also highlights the challenges faced in criminal law identification. To address these issues, the paper proposes a multi-dimensional regulatory approach encompassing big data-based early warning systems, the construction of a terminology database for pyramid selling, financial transaction tracing, multi-stakeholder social governance, public awareness campaigns, and improvements in legal provisions. These strategies aim to support the effective identification and criminal regulation of covert pyramid selling in the social e-commerce context.
Source: E-Commerce Letters
Author: 俞舒 邱
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411375523