警方就“虚拟绑架”事件向中国学生发出预警

The New South Wales Police Force, in conjunction with the Chinese government authorities and Chinese universities, has issued a warning to the community to be wary of a sophisticated phone scam targeting Chinese students, known globally as the 'virtual kidnapping' scam. Scammers typically contact victims by phone, claiming to be representatives of Chinese government agencies such as the Chinese Embassy, Consulate, or police, and convince the victims that they are involved in criminal activities in China or that their identity has been stolen. To avoid legal proceedings, arrest, or deportation, they must pay a fee.

The scammers then continue to contact the victims through various encrypted applications such as WeChat and WhatsApp. Victims are generally threatened and forced to transfer large sums of money to unknown overseas bank accounts. In some cases, victims are also persuaded to fake their own kidnapping and take photos or video recordings, known as 'virtual kidnapping'.

The scammers finally instruct the victims to stop contacting their family and friends and send these documents to the victims' overseas relatives. If the victims' parents cannot contact their children in Australia, they will pay a large ransom in exchange for their children's 'release'.

The New South Wales Police Force has confirmed with the Chinese Consulate-General in Sydney that no personnel from Chinese police, procuratorate, or court will contact students by phone to demand payment or transfer of money. If this happens, it is definitely a scam.

Parents and international students in Australia are advised to be vigilant, identify suspicious calls, and not respond to the caller's requests. If you suspect you have become a victim of a scam, please contact the police as soon as possible.

For more details, please read the full Chinese and English warning content below.

For more timely information, please follow the TAFE Queensland official WeChat account by scanning the QR code below.

TAFE Queensland | RTO 0275 | CRICOS 03020E | TEQSA PRV13003

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