Police are warning the public following a recent spate of "authority scams" appearing to target members of the Chinese community, particularly international students.
Police in Sydney's inner city, south and east have received an increase in reports of the scams, with some victims reporting financial losses of more than $400,000.
The scams appear to be targeting members of the Chinese community, particularly international students.
Victims have reported being contacted by someone claiming to be a Chinese police officer or from another legitimate organisation, before being told they are suspected of being involved in illegal activity or threatened with arrest.
The victim is then told they need to transfer an amount of money to avoid arrest and, in some cases, cryptocurrency.
Victims have reported being contacted by phone and via different phone apps including WeChat.
Examples of some recent incidents include:
- On Sunday 3 May 2026, officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command were told a 22-year-old woman had been contacted by someone claiming to be from a health insurance company in China telling her that she could be in trouble with the police. She was then transferred to another person claiming to be a Chinese police officer, who told her that her phone number was linked to a "known terrorist" who was currently outstanding following financial crimes. The woman was told that she would have a warrant for her arrest and her family would be arrested unless she transferred money. The woman reported a loss of more than $400,000.
- On Saturday 9 May 2026, police were told a 21-year-old woman has been contacted by an unknown person on WeChat claiming to be a Chinese police officer. The woman was told she needed to transfer money to assist in an investigation in which she was the alleged offender. The woman reported a loss of $80,000.
- On Thursday 7 May 2026, officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command were told a 23-year-old man had received a call from an unknown person claiming to be from the Victorian Department of Health, before being transferred to a person claiming to be a Chinese Police Officer. The man was then told he was a suspect in an money laundering case and needed to cooperate with an investigation. He was then instructed to delete his social media profile and call records. He reported a loss of $301,000.
- On Friday 8 May 2026, officers attached to South Sydney Police Area Command were told a 20-year-old man – a university student – had been contacted by an unknown person on WeChat stating they were a Chinese police officer. The man was told he must transfer money otherwise he will be arrested. The man reported a loss of $7200.
Cybercrime Squad Commander Detective Superintendent Matthew Craft said scammers will take advantage of people's fears to scare them into handing over their personal information and money.
"Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way that they target their victims," Detective Superintendent Craft said.
"They will use a range of tactics to intimidate victims into acting quickly to make a payment, including threats of arrest.
"These threats may appear real, but they are not.
"I would urge anyone who receives such a call to treat it with suspicion, hang up and report it to authorities.
"Do not send money to people you do not know.
"If you believe you have already lost money or provided personal information, contact police immediately."
Advice for the community:
- Do not share personal information or financial details over the phone
- Do not transfer funds to people you do not know
- Do not respond to threats or demands for payment
- Do not visit websites or click links provided by scammers
Anyone who thinks they may have received a scam call should report it to the National Anti-Scam Centre, and who has fallen victim to a scam, is urged to report it via the ReportCyber portal.
Victims can also attend their local police stations to make a report or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Multilingual officers are stationed at various police stations. You can ring your local police station ahead of time to check which languages are available. Police also use tools such as the Language + App to communicate with non-English speakers.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
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