FBI WARNS CHINESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS OF POLICE IMPERSONATION AND EXTORTION SCHEME

PHILADELPHIA, PA — August 17, 2026 — Federal authorities are warning Chinese international students about criminals impersonating Chinese police officers and government officials to obtain money, personal information, and continuous access to victims through video and audio surveillance.

The FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office issued the warning as colleges and universities prepared for the 2026–2027 academic year. The office has recorded a significant increase in Chinese police impersonation schemes targeting students in the Philadelphia area since 2022.

Criminals tell students that their personal information has been connected to a financial offense in China. Victims are threatened with arrest, prosecution, or forced travel to China unless they cooperate with the supposed investigation and transfer money.

The operation usually begins with a telephone call that appears to originate from a familiar or official source. Criminals use caller-identification spoofing to make the number appear connected to a mobile telephone provider, major retailer, delivery company, Chinese Embassy, or Chinese Consulate.

The caller tells the victim that their personally identifiable information has been connected to a person involved in financial fraud or that the victim has become part of a criminal inquiry.

A second criminal then assumes the identity of an officer from a Chinese provincial police department. The victim may be presented with counterfeit police credentials, arrest warrants, identification photographs, or documents describing fabricated charges.

The criminals can possess basic personal information about the victim, which they use to make the accusations appear legitimate. They pressure the victim to cooperate immediately and may threaten arrest or demand that the student return to China for trial.

The third stage is designed to isolate and control the victim. The supposed officer directs the student to accept continuous video and audio monitoring, claiming the surveillance is required because the inquiry is sensitive or because the victim must demonstrate innocence.

Victims are ordered not to discuss the situation with family members, friends, university personnel, or law enforcement. They may also be instructed not to search for information online, to report their daily activities, or to move to a location selected by the criminals.

These restrictions prevent victims from receiving independent advice or discovering that the supposed investigation is fraudulent. Continuous monitoring also allows the criminals to track the victim’s communications and apply pressure throughout the scheme.

The final stage involves a demand for money. Victims are instructed to transfer large sums to a Chinese bank account through a wire transfer or cryptocurrency exchange. The payment is falsely described as bail, a financial guarantee, or proof of innocence.

Some victims are directed to lie to relatives and friends to obtain additional money. Criminals may also attempt to turn victims into money mules or pressure them to assist with similar schemes targeting other Chinese students in the United States.

An official-looking telephone number does not confirm that a call is legitimate. Criminals can disguise the number from which they are calling and make it appear on the recipient’s device as a trusted government, business, or institutional number.

Anyone receiving such a call should withhold personal and financial information, refuse all payment demands, end contact, and independently verify the caller’s identity. Verification should be completed by locating the agency’s official contact information through a trusted source and calling that agency directly.

Students should not use telephone numbers, email addresses, websites, or instructions supplied by the person making the accusation. They should not consent to continuous video or audio monitoring.

Foreign government officials conducting legitimate law enforcement activity inside the United States must coordinate with U.S. federal authorities. A demand for private surveillance, secrecy, cryptocurrency, or immediate payment should be treated as a serious warning sign.

Students who transferred money should immediately contact the payment service and their financial institution to request that the transaction be stopped or reversed. The sending institution should also be asked to contact the financial institution that received the funds.

Victims and attempted victims should preserve all original communications and documents. Useful evidence includes telephone numbers, email addresses, account names, wire-transfer instructions, receiving bank information, cryptocurrency wallet addresses, text messages, emails, video communications, and logs showing the dates and times of contact.

Reports can be filed through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at IC3.gov or through a local FBI field office. Students should also notify their university’s campus security or public-safety office so the institution can warn other students.

FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs said reporting helps investigators pursue the people responsible and allows authorities to connect victims with available assistance and support. He also emphasized cooperation among law enforcement, universities, and community organizations in protecting international students.

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