In a disturbing trend, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) Scamwatch is alerting the Chinese community in Australia about sophisticated scams involving extortion, false threats of arrest and, in some instances, bogus kidnappings.
A Mandarin-speaking scammer, feigning affiliation with Chinese authorities such as the police, immigration or customs, has been reported making phone calls and leaving 'urgent' voicemail messages for recipients.
When returned, these calls swiftly devolve into alarming claims, allegations and threats.
Targets of these scams are falsely accused of having received or sent parcels containing illegal material like counterfeit passports or credit cards.
These fraudsters persist, ultimately demanding payment to 'prove innocence' during an alleged investigation.
#scamalert! Scammers impersonating authorities such as Customs in China are calling people saying their id has been stolen & packages with prohibited items have been sent to China in their name. They are threatened with arrest and pressured to pay for 'bail' pending trial. pic.twitter.com/rV2fQljs1r— ACCC Scamwatch (@Scamwatch_gov) June 13, 2023
Posing as government officials
One victim, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared their encounter, stating: "The scammer posed as a Chinese government official.
“They told me that I had received an illegal package and was involved in international money laundering.
“They threatened to arrest me and send me back to China if I did not pay $100,000 AUD immediately."
Other scam scenarios
Scams targeting the Chinese community in Australia are nothing new.
Other scenarios involve threats of arrest or deportation due to supposed visa issues or claims of identity theft used for criminal activity.
In a darker twist, these imposters have been known to dupe students into faking their own kidnappings, including taking and sending images of themselves bound and gagged.
These images are then used to extort money from the student's family under the pretence of a genuine kidnapping.