Beware current scams targeting international students
Victoria Police has issued a new warning about a current worldwide scam targeting young people and the Mandarin-speaking community.
This latest scam involves people receiving pre-recorded phone or social media messages saying they have a package on hold for them. The message also includes threats:
- to transfer large sums of money
- of extortion via fake kidnappings
- of deportation or arrest.
The scammers tell victims they have been implicated in a crime, and/or may face arrest or deportation if they do not comply. See this Victoria Police factsheet for more information.
Messages of this nature are always a lie. Do not respond to any messages like this.
What should I do if I receive a message like this?
If you receive contact via phone, text, or email from anyone claiming to be holding a package for you, do not respond – it is a scam. If you receive contact via phone, text, or email from anyone claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy, Australian Embassy or other government official, and who is making threats about arrest or deportation, do not respond – it is a scam. Do not provide any of your personal or banking details to these people.
- If you think the scammer has your bank account details, contact your bank immediately.
- If you receive a threatening phone call, hang up the phone immediately and report it to your local police station or to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
- If you receive a phone call or text message of this nature, report it immediately to Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and ScamWatch. You can also contact Deakin’s cybersecurity team.
- Warn your friends and family about this scam.
We understand receiving these types of messages can be frightening – cybercriminals purposely try to frighten you to get you to panic and do what they say.
What you need to know:
- There are no consequences for reporting a potential scam – it is always better to be safe than sorry.
- Deakin will never contact students directly, or through agents in China, to ask you for money.
- The police or an embassy will also never ask someone to pay money in exchange for a guarantee of not prosecuting and/or deporting them.
How can I protect myself from scams?
Please be especially wary of any unsolicited or unexpected communications you receive and think before you click – these can be sophisticated and look legitimate.
- Be aware of the messages you receive via email, text and social media. If you get junk or spam emails or messages, simply ignore and delete them.
- Be cautious about any unsolicited communications that request personal information or money.
- Never give your bank details or money to people you don’t know or for reasons you’re unclear about. This includes your personal, credit card or online account details. If you think your accounts have been accessed illegally, contact your financial institution immediately for advice.
- If you receive a University-related email you’re unsure about – whether it’s from someone you don’t know, the details appear incorrect or the email address looks odd – do not click on any links or attachments. Immediately report the email to Deakin’s cybersecurity team via the ‘Phish Alert’ button in your Outlook window. If you’re not using your Deakin email address in Outlook, forward the email to [email protected].
- Look out for requests for payment in unusual methods such as bitcoin or gift cards – this is a common indicator of dodgy activity.
- Don’t respond straight away, especially if you’re feeling panicked. Always stop to think about a request before you open an email, click or download a link, provide personal information or give money.
Please bookmark and regularly visit Deakin’s cybersecurity blog to stay up to date with the latest known online scams. You can also find more information about common scams targeting international students via Study Melbourne’s website.
If you believe you have been targeted, you can report scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au. You can also follow @scamwatch_gov on Twitter and subscribe to Scamwatch radar alerts.
The ACCC’s Little Black Book of Scams is also a handy tool for recognising scams – it is available in various languages including Simplified Chinese on the ACCC website).