Key Points
•Phone scams involving individuals impersonating bankers, postal workers, and police officers have been increasing. If you receive a similar call or text message, remain calm and consider consulting the police if necessary. Exercise caution in responding.
Details
1.Overview of Recent Phone Scams
Recently, multiple reports have been received regarding scams in which individuals impersonate employees of banks, postal services, credit card companies, or public institutions such as police officers. Through phone calls or text messages, they create fear by suggesting frozen accounts or imminent arrest, aiming to fraudulently extract money (see 1 below). Similar scams have been reported worldwide, with some cases resulting in losses of tens of thousands of dollars. Please remain vigilant (see 2 below).
1. Phone Scams Reported to the Consulate
(1) Case 1
•A caller impersonating a banker claimed, “A credit card registered in your name has been used to purchase weapons on the U.S. mainland.” The call was then transferred to an alleged supervisor, who said, “According to our bank’s regulations, we must report this to the authorities. If reported, you will be blacklisted and may be treated as a criminal. You need to obtain a police report and take immediate action within two hours.”
•The victim was told the call would be transferred to the police. The “police officer” instructed the victim that further procedures would need to be conducted remotely via Skype video calls. During the video call, the scammer showed images of a police badge and certificate, requested personal information such as the victim’s name, passport, and ID, and then claimed, “You are linked to an international crime organization. One of the victims is in Vietnam, so you must urgently transfer money to a bank account there.”
(2) Case 2
•A caller posing as a postal worker claimed, “Marijuana has been sent from an address registered in your name in New York to Washington, D.C. You are under suspicion of a crime, and legal relief procedures are required.” The victim was pressured to report the incident to the FBI. However, as the tracking number provided by the caller did not correspond to any existing items, the victim sought advice from family members, successfully preventing the scam.
(3) Case 3
•Text messages claiming to be from USPS requested credit card or debit card information, leading to skimming. For instance, messages stated, “A package is being held at the post office due to an error in your address. A small delivery fee is required to proceed.”
2.Countermeasures
If you receive a phone call or text message resembling the examples above, take the following precautions:
(1) Pause and Consult Others
•End the call immediately and consult family or friends. Scammers skillfully use terms like “account freeze” or “arrest” to create a sense of urgency, aiming to overwhelm victims and prevent rational judgment. Do not try to handle the situation alone—seek objective advice.
(2) Verify Authenticity Independently
•Even if the caller ID appears to show a legitimate phone number, if the content resembles any of the cases described above, hang up and contact the relevant company or public institution directly to verify the information.
(3) Confirm with Authorities
•If shown a police badge or certificate, take note of the name and identification number, end the call under a pretext, and contact the relevant police department to confirm the individual’s authenticity.
(4) Be Skeptical of Monetary Requests
•Banks, credit card companies, and public institutions will not request payments via phone or text. If you are asked for money, assume it is a scam, end the call, and consult the police.
Fraudsters employ various methods to gain victims’ trust and steal money. In some cases where victims realized it was a scam before suffering losses, they admitted they might have fallen victim without advice or warnings from family or friends. These scams target a wide demographic, with actual victims spanning all age groups. Scammers use sophisticated psychological tactics to deceive and manipulate their targets. It is dangerous to continue any interaction with them via phone or text. Always end the call immediately and consult someone you trust.
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