Phone Scams Targeting Chinese-Americans

The FCC issued a consumer alert that scam robocalls are targeting Chinese speakers in the San Francisco community and beyond, impersonating Chinese law enforcement, federal employees, or local health care officials to scam some individuals out of tens of thousands of dollars each.  

(https://www.fcc.gov/chinese-language-robocall-scams) 

• One common variation of the scam uses spoofing to impersonate a local health care provider.  The caller claims to be an employee of the insurance claims department and ask the intended victims if they recently had surgery in China.  When the victims reply that they did not receive any surgical treatment in China, the scammers tell the victims that someone filed a fraudulent claim using their personal information such as birth date, ID number, or address. The caller may then "transfer" the victim to their partners posing as police officers who offer to file a police report in an effort to get more personal information from the victim.

• In one incident reported to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), a scammer posing as FCC employee (speaking in Mandarin) transferred the victim's call to suspects posing as Chinese police officers who convinced the victim to send $23,000 to clear their name. The victim sent money by wire transfer, then later contacted SFPD to report the suspicious activity.

• In recent years, the FCC received numerous consumer complaints about scammers trying to steal money or personal information by posing as Chinese consulate employees. People with Chinese last names were targeted, along with random consumers in areas with large Chinese communities. These scam calls often began with someone impersonating a Chinese consulate staff member who says a parcel or package addressed to the person called is waiting to be picked up at the consulate. The "official" then says the package is linked to a criminal investigation, and offers to resolve the situation through a money transfer or a credit card payment. In some cases, the scammer asked for bank account information.

Signs of a Scam Call: 

Real Info from Fake Callers – Scammers can spoof phone numbers and may use information gathered on social media accounts to make targets think the scammers are from a legitimate health care provider, law enforcement, or the government. 

Pressure and Fear Tactics – Always use caution if you are being pressured for information or to send money quickly. Scammers often try to bully victims into transferring money through a mobile payment app, by wiring money, or by purchasing gift cards or money orders.

Additional Consumer Tips: 

• If you get an inquiry from someone who says they represent a health care company or a government agency, hang up and call the phone number on your account statement, in the phone book, or on the company’s or government agency’s website to verify the authenticity of the request.

• To verify the authenticity of such a call, you can contact your local Chinese consulate directly by looking up their contact information in a phone directory or on an official website.

• Never give out personal information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, Medicare ID numbers, mother’s maiden names, passwords, or other identifying information in response to unexpected calls or if you are at all suspicious.

• Governments and law enforcement will not use pressure, fear, or alternative payment tools, such as gift cards. Scammers often try to bully victims into submitting to payment schemes.

• Do not provide any money or personal information to unknown callers or texters.

• File a complaint with the FCC: https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov/.