New fraud tactic targets Chinese students in the UK
In recent months, several Chinese international students studying at Imperial have been targeted by sophisticated scams involving fraudsters masquerading as law enforcement and immigration officials. These scams, primarily executed via phone call or online platforms, coerce students into believing they are implicated in serious criminal activity and demand large sums of money under the pretense of legal fees or bail payments.
The scam typically begins with a phone call, often from a spoofed number that resembles those of government agencies. The caller, speaking in English or Mandarin, introduces themselves as an official from UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), or either British or Chinese law enforcement, and informs the student that they are under investigation for crimes such as money laundering or visa fraud. To bolster their credibility, the scammers may provide fabricated emails or official-looking documents that mimic real government or university communications.
Once they have gained the student’s trust and attention, the fraudsters then pressure the student into compliance by insisting on urgency and confidentiality, stating that discussing the case with others could result in legal repercussions. Many victims, terrified by the possibility of deportation or a permanent criminal record, comply with these demands. The scammers then instruct the student to transfer money as “security deposits” or “for bail”, promising that the funds will be reimbursed once the investigation is over. However, once the money is transferred, the scammers vanish without a trace.
A Chinese student studying at Imperial recently fell victim to this scam, which also involved a “virtual” kidnapping, and lasted almost three weeks in December 2024.
The ordeal began with the student, who wishes to remain anonymous, receiving a call from an individual claiming to work for UKVI stating that authorities had repeatedly attempted to contact the student regarding an official letter. Another fraudster claiming to work for UKVI told the student that a phone number registered under the student’s name had been used in a fraudulent scheme in China, violating their visa conditions, and they would be “deported immediately”.
After being “directly” transferred to another individual posing as a police officer from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, the student was told they would need to provide a testimony as a bank account in the student’s name had been linked with a “high-level international scam case”. The fraudsters had made use of official-looking documents, video calls, and called the student from a number linked to the Shanghai Pudong Public Security Bureau. They had also provided names and police ID numbers to ensure the operation looked legitimate. As The student was asked to remain under constant surveillance via Skype and WeChat (a Chinese instant messaging platform) as they were unable to return to China immediately. During the monitoring process, the student had to always remain on a Skype call with screen sharing enabled, preventing them from speaking to or consulting friends and family. The student was forced to submit a “safety report”, including their name, location, time, and current activity, every two hours daily. They were also told to report all internet activity with screenshots of all the websites they visited and messages they received. Faced with the threat of deportation and losing their chance to an Imperial education, the student complied.
To ensure the student did not learn of others who had experienced the same, the fraudsters demanded the student delete Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, and Xiaohongshu, or Little Red Book, another popular Chinese social media app.
The student was told to liaise with a “police captain”, who repeatedly reassured the student of their innocence and that they were “on the same side” whilst also providing the student with details leading to their continued investigation. On separate occasions the student was told that security camera footage exonerating the student had been deleted, or that another suspect had identified the student as being involved with the fraud. A fake prosecutor also told the student an elderly victim of the scam had committed suicide.
As the scheme escalated, a fabricated prosecutor presented the student with two options: return to China immediately and be arrested upon arrival, losing their education, or pay a sum of money to remain in the UK during the investigation. The prosecutor assured the student that the money would be returned at the end of the investigation after proving their innocence.
Under duress the student opted for the latter of the two options. They were told to pay a total of 2.5 million yuan (approximately £250,000) for bail. With this, the student lied to their parents, requesting the funds under the guise for an urgent educational purpose. The money was sent to two accounts under the same name, supposedly belonging to the security officers conducting the “verification check".
By 30th December, the scam ended as swiftly as it had begun: the fraudsters had received all the money and disappeared. They had promised to be in touch by 16th Janaury with an update but were never heard from again, and the money sent was unrecoverable. It wasn’t until the student had seen online reports of similar scams that they realized they had been the victim of fraud.
Imperial College has provided advice for international students on its website. The College advises students to contact the International Student Support team at international@imperial.ac.uk . Additionally, the College has provided information on how to spot and report scams. Students are advised to stick to the “golden rule” of maintaining caution should they be asked for money, or personal or financial details.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK has sorted out several telecom fraud cases and can be contacted at: London_lb@csm.mfa.gov.cn.
