Fraud prevention advice for Chinese students

The victim is contacted by a fraudster purporting to be from the Chinese Embassy or Chinese Police.

They will usually say that the victim has been involved in money laundering or other illegal activity and that they need to pay a significant amount of money, or else they will be imprisoned or deported.

Fraudsters may pretend to be trusted officials, such as the bank or police. They may request your help with an “investigation” or insist that there is fraud occurring on your account.

They will convince you to transfer your money into a “safe account”, which will belong to the criminal, or hand it over to the criminal in person.

Victims are tricked into paying an upfront fee to rent a property which does not exist, has already been rented out, or has been rented to multiple victims at the same time.

Students are often recruited by criminals to launder money through their bank accounts. This will be advertised as a risk free and easy way to make money. In reality, they are being enticed into committing a criminal offence.

Fraudsters are advertising fraudulent cryptocurrency investments on social media, promising attractive returns.

Seek independent financial advice before committing to any investment as it’s difficult to tell a genuine investment opportunity apart from a fraudulent one.

Phishing texts and emails can come in many forms. For example, notifying you of an apparent failed parcel delivery.

Do not click on any links or attachments you are unsure of within a text or email or provide personal details. Texts can be forwarded to 7726 and emails to report@phishing.gov.uk