FBI Philadelphia warns of university fraud scheme targeting international students
FBI Philadelphia has issued a warning about a "University Scheme" targeting international students for money.
Federal officials say they have seen several dozen cases involving students in Philadelphia since 2022.
FBI officials detail the four phases of the scheme to look out for.
PHILADELPHIA - With spring semesters underway, FBI Philadelphia warns of "University Scheme" targeting international students for money.
The FBI is partnering with Philadelphia universities and law enforcement as students settle in for the spring semester to warn about a fraud scheme that continues to prey on international students.
What we know
Federal officials tell FOX 29 they have seen several dozen cases involving students in Philadelphia since 2022.
It involves criminal actors impersonating Chinese police officers to defraud students, particularly Chinese students, by telling them they are under investigation for an alleged financial crime in China and need to pay to avoid arrest.
"We have seen an increasing number of students report that they are victims of these scams, and as many as we've seen report, we know there are many more victims out there," said Wayne Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia.
The scheme typically consists of four phases, according to the FBI:
Criminal actors place a call to victims, appearing to be a phone number associated with a mobile telephone service provider, a large retailer, a delivery service, or the Chinese Embassy/Consulate. The criminal actors inform victims their personal identifiable information is linked to either a subject or a victim of a financial fraud investigation.
Criminal actors then allegedly transfer the call to a Chinese provincial police department that is allegedly investigating the victims. A criminal actor posing as a Chinese police officer informs victims of the details of the alleged crime and may pressure victims to return to China to face trial or threaten them with arrest.
Criminal actors direct victims to consent to 24/7 video and audio monitoring due to the alleged sensitivity of the investigation and/or to demonstrate the victims' innocence. Victims are instructed not to discuss the details of the case, not to conduct internet searches, and to report all their daily activities.
Criminal actors instruct victims to wire a large sum of money to a Chinese bank account to prove their innocence or to post bail to avoid returning to China.
"These are kids who are here alone separated from family," said SAC Jacobs. "The range of loss amounts here are quite significant, hundreds of thousands of dollars being supplied."
In any instance where you answer the phone and think you might be dealing with a scammer, the FBI says to try to slow things down and ask questions, and remember that you should never have to provide personal or banking information over the phone.
If reporting the crime immediately, SAC Jacobs says they are often successful in getting money back for victims, but fraudsters are getting more creative.
"Unfortunately, the fraudsters are getting hip to the crypto game, and that presents a unique challenge in that the funds there move a lot quicker," he said. "While we are able to trace funds through crypto analysis, it does present a bit of a unique challenge in trying to slow things down and ultimately recover the funds."
The FBI says A.I. continues to give fraudsters more capability to sound and look legitimate.
"It's becoming increasingly difficult to separate legitimate calls from fraudulent calls because we are seeing phone numbers get spoofed, voices being duplicated, all in the name of building additional credibility," says SAC Jacobs. "It's only a matter of time before we identify these individuals, bring them to account."
What you can do
If you or someone you know is a victim of this crime, you can report it to local law enforcement, the FBI Philadelphia Office at 215-418-4000, or by submitting an online report at www.ic3.gov.
The Source
The information in this story is from FBI Philadelphia officials.
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