We are seeing an increase in fraud, theft, and ID theft cases involving people claiming to be Chinese government officials.  The suspects contact the victim and claim they are in trouble and must pay money to fix the problem.  The scams take many forms, wiring money, purchasing and electronically sending gift cards, or telling someone to withdraw money and hand it over. 

In one case, the suspects provided official-looking credentials to prove they were Chinese police officers, but they weren’t.  These are scams! Please do not reply or cooperate with anyone claiming to be an overseas official asking you for money. Instead, call your local police department, and they will check it out.  It is better to take the time to verify than to be out thousands of dollars.