FCC Consumer Alert
Consumer Guides
Phone scam calls targeting Chinese speaking consumers appear to be trending up again.
The FCC and local law enforcement agencies have received multiple reports from members of the Chinese community about individuals impersonating health-care providers, federal employees (including the Federal Communications Commission), and police officers from China.
One common variation of the scam uses spoofing to impersonate a local health care provider. The caller will claim to be an employee of the insurance claims department and ask the intended victims if they recently had surgery in China. When the victims reply that they did not receive any surgical treatment in China, the scammers tell the victims that someone filed a fraudulent claim using their personal information like birth date, ID number, or address. The caller may then "transfer" the victim to their partners posing as police offers who offer to file a police report in an effort to get more personal information from the victim.
In one incident reported to the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD), a scammer posing as FCC employee – speaking in Mandarin – transferred the victim's call to suspects posing as Chinese police officers who convinced the victim to send $23,000 to clear their name. The victim sent money by wire transfer, then later contacted SFPD to report the suspicious activity.
If you receive a call that bears any of the hallmarks of this scam, or seems otherwise suspicious, hang up immediately. These scammers are using spoofing techniques to falsify caller ID information to disguise their true identity. Doing so can make the call appear to be from a health insurance company or a police department in China.
In recent years, the FCC received numerous consumer complaints about scammers trying to steal money or personal information by posing as Chinese consulate employees. People with Chinese last names were targeted, along with random consumers in areas with large Chinese communities.
These scam calls often began with someone impersonating a Chinese consulate staff member who says a parcel or package addressed to the person called is waiting to be picked up at the consulate. The "official" then says the package is linked to a criminal investigation, and offers to resolve the situation through a money transfer or a credit card payment. In some cases, the scammer asked for bank account information.
To verify the authenticity of such a call, you can contact your local Chinese consulate directly by looking up their contact information in a phone directory or on an official website.
If you do engage in a conversation with an unexpected caller, never give out personal or financial information such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, mothers' maiden names, passwords, or PINs to callers demanding immediate action. Also, be suspicious if you're being pressured for information or money immediately. Scammers often try to bully victims into submitting to payment schemes.
Always report suspicious activity to local law enforcement, then file a complaint with the FCC.
File a complaint with the FCC
Consumers can file complaints with the FCC about illegal calls and spoofing. Information about the FCC's informal complaint process, including how to file a complaint and what happens after a complaint is filed, is available in the FCC Complaint Center FAQ.