Migrating to a new country can be difficult in the best of times, but Chinese-speaking Australian residents are warned of the rise in scammers exploiting their circumstances and targeting the Chinese community.
目前诈骗者针对华人及华人社区的情况有所增加，澳洲华人应小心注意。
Between January and November 2020, ScamWatch received over 2000 reports about scams targeting the Chinese community, resulting in almost $7 million in losses. That’s 3 times more than the losses incurred across the whole of 2019.
Scammers of late are posing as Chinese authorities and leaving threatening or frightening messages in order to extort money from their victims, or access personal information.
最近，诈骗者冒充中国政府当局并留下威胁或恐吓讯息，以向受害者勒索金钱或获取个人资讯。
So how does this scam work?
那么这个骗局是如何运作的呢？
A scammer, most commonly speaking Mandarin, will call you out of the blue, or leave a message. Using spoofing technology, the caller ID can register the call as coming from a Chinese authority, such as the police, a government or immigration official, or parcel delivery service.
The scammer will insist that they have intercepted a package addressed to you containing illegal material, that your identity has been stolen and used for illegal activity, that you haven’t paid your taxes or fines, or that the Australian Government is seeking to arrest and deport you due to a VISA problem.
Ultimately, the scammer will threaten that you will be extradited to China to face criminal charges unless a sum of money is sent to them.
最终，诈骗者会威胁您，除非给他们汇一笔钱，否则您将被引渡回中国面临刑事诉讼。
In some cases, international students are targeted with threats of criminal sanctions, unless they provide photos of themselves bound and gagged as though they have been kidnapped. These photos are then used to extort money from the student’s family by claiming their child really has been kidnapped.
Watch this episode of Scam Spot in Mandarin. (Thomas Evans)
It may be tempting to believe the scam, given that you are hearing a familiar language while in a new country. In reality, no crime has been committed, and this is all a disturbing scam. Here are some tips to avoid falling for the trap:
Hang up the phone immediately and report the call to your local police
请立刻挂断电话并向当地警方报案
Never disclose any personal information. If scammers share information about you, remember that it is likely just publicly available
请勿透露任何个人资讯。如果诈骗者分享有关您的讯息，请记住这些资讯可能只是由公开的原始资料提取的。
Any calls about arrest or deportation are a scam
任何有关逮捕或驱逐出境的电话都是诈骗
Do not respond to any ‘urgent’ requests
请不要回应任何「紧急的」要求
If you suspect the scammer has your bank account details, contact your bank immediately.
如果您怀疑诈骗者掌握了您的银行帐户详细讯息，请立即联系您的银行
Ensure you warn all your friends and family about the scam.
请您提醒所有亲朋好友有关诈骗的资讯
These calls can be frightening, and in many cases victims may comply in fear. Being aware of this scam and sharing it with loved ones can save you a whole world of trouble.
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