In a global extortion racket, Chinese students in Australia are being targeted in fake kidnapping phone scams, fooling families for millions of dollars in ransoms. A total 1,172 reports of “Chinese authority” scams were recorded across Australia last year, with a total loss in excess of $2 million.
Why Chinese Students Are Faking Their Own Kidnappings In Australia. IMAGES SUPPLIED BY NSW POLICE
Police in New South Wales said that this year alone there have been at least eight reported cases of this “virtual kidnappings”. The Australian Federal Police said in May that at least 25 cases of kidnapping extortion scams were under investigation. These scams generally targeted Chinese students across the country.
The scams are deceiving families, and they tend to do this in the same old-fashioned way: a fraudulent caller who pretends to be a Chinese government authority—convinces the victim of facing legal acti...