Watch out for—and find out how to protect yourself from—this scam targeting Chinese students!
We’ve been alerted by the Australian Government Department of Education of increased scam activity targeting Chinese international students. These scammers impersonate police and officials to threaten and intimidate you into giving them your money and personal information.
Please read through this blog and remain cautious to best protect yourself from this scam.
What to watch out for
This scam involves you receiving a call or message from a scammer pretending to be from a phone company or financial institution, saying your phone or identity has been used in a scam or financial crime.
They will then transfer you to another scammer impersonating the Chinese police. You’ll be told that unless you make a payment to them, you could be extradited or deported to China.
To make their claims seem more convincing, scammers can use elaborate methods including:
- involving calls from multiple people and even video calls with what appears to be Chinese police
- using technology to have the call appear to be coming from an official police phone number
- producing convincing fake documentation, including arrest warrants.
- There have even been reports of someone dressed as a police officer visiting Australian homes of victims to deliver documentation in-person.
What to do if a scammer contacts you
If you have a feeling that something might be off when receiving a call or message, or are suspicious for any reason, then act carefully.
- You should hang up and not respond. Don’t engage with the caller and don’t follow their instructions. Doing so will only lead to them escalating their intimidation tactics.
- Never provide money to someone you don’t know over the phone. Do not provide any personal or financial details to them.
- You can independently contact your phone company or financial institution to confirm that it was not them contacting you.
- Don’t feel pressured and act without thinking things through. Scammers will often attempt to produce a false sense of urgency.
- Don’t turn or leave your camera on if instructed to do so.
You can find out more about this scam on the Department of Education website, including a factsheet available in both English and Chinese Simplified.
Where you can get help
- If it’s an emergency or you are concerned for your safety, contact the police immediately by calling 000.
- To report a crime that is not an emergency, phone 131 444.
- If you have provided any money or think the scammer has your bank account details, contact your bank immediately.
- If you receive a call or message of this nature, report it immediately to Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) and ScamWatch. You can also contact Deakin’s cybersecurity team.
- IDCARE can assist you if you experience scams and fraudulent activity. They can be contacted on 1800 595 160.
- Warn your friends, family and fellow students about these scams.
There are no consequences for reporting a potential scam – it is always better to be safe than sorry.
Some resources on scams
Stay up to date with the latest known online scams by bookmarking and regularly visiting Deakin’s Online safety and security webpage. You can also find more information about common scams targeting students via Study Melbourne’s website. 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.