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The Guardian
29-06-2025
- The Guardian
Chinese authority scams fleece international students in Australia of $5m in five months
Scammers pretending to be Chinese authorities are increasingly targeting international students in Australia, threatening 'serious trouble' and 24-hour surveillance and fleecing them of more than $5m in just five months. The scammers claim to be Chinese law enforcement officers who demand that personal information or money be transferred to them. Some accuse students of criminal wrongdoing, such as receiving fake passports or credit cards. Victims may be told their identities are being used to commit financial crimes. In some cases, scammers say Australian authorities are planning to arrest and deport them for beaching their visa conditions. These scams have worried law enforcement for several years but the National Anti-Scam Centre has warned they are becoming more threatening. The centre is managed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email 'We have been seeing more cases of these scams mentioning 24-hour surveillance,' an anti-scam centre spokesperson said. 'Since March, there have been 16 cases, with eight reported in May alone.' 'Don't be pressured by a threatening caller asking you to prove you have not been involved in a crime. 'Hang up and don't respond. Don't engage with the caller and do not follow their instructions. If you do, they may escalate their intimidation tactics and attempt to get your money.' Almost 680 Chinese authority scams were reported to the anti-scam centre in the first five months of 2025. During this period, $5.1m was lost to the scammers, who had a 5.5% success rate. The average loss for those implicated was $138,018. The victims, according to the Australian government, are predominantly aged between 18 and 24. This cohort – including 21 students – lost $3.3m to the Chinese authority scams. Ten older students were among the 37 people scammed. The ACCC has previously warned of Chinese students being targeted with 'virtual kidnapping' scams. In one case, an 18-year-old student was conned by scammers claiming to be Chinese police, who insisted she hide in her apartment and stage her kidnapping. The woman sent a series of photos and videos of herself 'kidnapped' to her family via the Chinese social media app WeChat. The messages were followed up by others purporting to be from Chinese authorities and telling the relatives to transfer money to secure her release. 'Never leave your camera on because someone has instructed you to,' an ACCC spokesperson said. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'If someone tells you that you are being investigated, speak to the local police in Australia, the international student support body of your university or your local Australian-Chinese community support service.' In many cases, the scammers begin by cold calling someone speaking Mandarin, or leaving a message insisting they be urgently called back. They then falsely claim money is needed to prove their targets' innocence. The scams are being closely monitored by state police forces, including in Victoria, where officers allege they are part of a 'worldwide extortion' strategy. 'They target the Mandarin-speaking community, particularly students of Chinese background,' a police spokesperson said. 'The scammers lie to victims about who they are and blackmail them to extort their money.' The National Anti-Scam Centre has urged people not to provide money or personal information to anyone if there is any doubt as to their credentials. They have warned scammers often create a sense of urgency to prevent people from carefully assessing their options.
SBS Australia
20-06-2025
- SBS Australia
Australians warned of new 'spoof call' scam impersonating consumer watchdog
Australians are being warned that scammers are reportedly spoofing phone numbers belonging to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in an attempt to steal personal information. The National Anti-Scam Centre, which operates under the ACCC, issued a warning after it became aware of scammers using ACCC phone numbers, which are listed on the agency's official website. Here's what you need to know about the latest scam, how to spot it, and what to do if you are targeted. The scammers are reportedly using the phone numbers to pretend to be representatives of the ACCC and request personal information from unsuspecting recipients. According to the National Anti-Scam Centre, the numbers have been "spoofed", and the ACCC does not make calls from the publicly listed numbers. ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said: "Spoofing is when scammers disguise their phone number to make it look like they're calling from a trusted organisation — including government agencies like the ACCC — to deceive people into answering and sharing personal information." "This is a tactic that helps scammers hide their true identity while posing as trusted institutions — it's designed to lower your guard." If a call or message feels suspicious, the ACCC recommends ending the call and contacting the agency directly to verify the information. In some of the reported incidents, scammers requested sensitive information over the phone, misused the ACCC acronym to impersonate an unrelated organisation, or spoke in a language other than English. The ACCC says it will never 'cold' call or email consumers and ask for personal information such as passwords, bank details, or answers to security questions. The ACCC also does not charge money for its services and does not threaten or pressure you to stay on the line. If a caller does any of these things, it could be a scam. The ACCC suggests hanging up and reporting the incident. The National Anti-Scam Centre also said 'urgent' requests asking people to 'act immediately' could be a sign of a scam. If you receive an unusual call, message or email, consider whether it could be fake — even if it appears to come from an organisation you know and trust. The ACCC advises if something feels wrong, it is best to act quickly. End the call, and contact the organisation directly yourself to verify if the call was real or not. Any scams should be reported to ScamWatch, and messages received on platforms like WhatsApp or iMessage should also be reported. If you have provided personal information, contact IDCARE on 1800 595 160 and contact your bank immediately.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scammers cheat Aussies out of millions in four months
Australians have lost at least $119 million to scams in the first four months of 2025, as phishing cons almost tripled in value. The consumer watchdog's National Anti-Scam Centre is calling on businesses to join forces to share data to combat increasingly sophisticated frauds. "Scams are affecting Australians of all ages, often beginning with an unprompted or unexpected contact via social media and other digital platforms," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said. "Sharing information is a key step towards improving community safety – organisations, such as banks, digital platforms, and telecommunication companies, can help disrupt scams faster and reduce the harm they cause." While the number of overall scam reports in the first four months of 2025 fell by almost a quarter to 72,230, value of losses swelled to $119 million, Scamwatch data showed. Phishing scams - where criminals use trusted channels to trick people into revealing personal information - accounted for $13.7 million in losses, nearly tripling compared to $4.6 million in early 2024. The use of social media to target victims is on the rise, with the number of people reporting losses jumping by almost half to more than 3300, as total losses spiked by more than 30 per cent to $23.4 million. Phone scams are on the decline, falling 11 per cent compared to early 2024, but they still account for the biggest proportion of losses, with $25.8 million scuppered between January and the end of April. Australians aged 65 and older were impacted most by scams with losses totalling more than $33 million. "While the average and median losses per victim have slightly decreased, the rise in overall financial loss and the number of people being impacted is a reminder to stay alert," Ms Lowe said. "We encourage all Australians to report suspicious scam activity, even if no money is lost as you can provide us with vital intelligence, and talk to friends and family to help spread awareness." While a piece of data could seem unremarkable on its own, it could help form powerful intelligence when combined with other leads, Ms Lowe said. "With data held across the ecosystem, sharing data with the National Anti-Scam Centre enables those vital connections to be made," she said. The watchdog urged Australians never to give away personal information if uncertain and noted scammers would try to create a sense of urgency. The ACCC advised people to hang up the phone and call back organisations via a trusted number to verify the contact, and to call their bank immediately if money is lost. People worried after handing over personal information should call IDCARE on 1800 595 160. Sign in to access your portfolio
