Scammers who are posing as Chinese police and threatening international students with arrest have swindled nearly $800,000 from four victims in separate ruses across Sydney this month, police say.
The victims reported they had been contacted via phone or messaging apps, including WeChat, by a stranger claiming to be a police officer or Chinese government official, who falsely told them they were suspected of a crime.
The scammers told the victims they had to transfer money or cryptocurrency, or they would be arrested, NSW Police said.
Cybercrime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft said there had been a surge in reports related to criminals targeting Chinese nationals in the inner city, south and east.
“These threats may appear real, but they are not. Do not send money to people you do not know,” Craft said.
In one case, a person claiming to be from a health insurance company in China contacted a Sydney woman, 22, telling her she could be in trouble with police. She was transferred to another person, claiming to be a police officer, who said her phone number was linked to a “known terrorist” who was wanted for financial crimes.
Police said the woman, who lived in Sydney’s east, reported handing over $400,000 after the scammers told her they would issue a warrant for her arrest if she didn’t send them money.
Another man, 23, reported losing $301,000 after he reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to work at Victoria’s Health Department on May 7. He was transferred to a person who said he was suspected of money laundering and had to co-operate with an investigation, before instructing the man to delete his social media profile and phone call records.
A 21-year-old woman was defrauded of $80,000 after the scammers contacted her on WeChat and convinced her she needed to transfer money to help with an investigation in which she was the alleged offender. In another case, a 20-year-old university student sent $7200 after a fake police officer threatened him with arrest, also on WeChat.
Craft said scammers were becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way that they targeted victims.
“They will use a range of tactics to intimidate victims into acting quickly to make a payment, including threats of arrest.
“I would urge anyone who receives such a call to treat it with suspicion, hang up and report it to authorities,” Craft said.
