Chinese Citizens in Canada Should Beware of Phone Frauds

2017-08-08 06:19

Recently, Chinese citizens have suffered successive phone frauds and coercion in Canada. Callers would claim themselves as police officers of the Liaison Office of Chinese International Criminal Police or staff members of the Chinese Embassy in Canada, telling victims that their express packages were detained by China's Customs, or they got involved in international financial frauds and money laundering, or they were restricted entry into China and should cooperate with investigations because of the problems of their passports or other identity documents. Scammers use technical measures to disguise their phone numbers as staff duty phones of the Embassy in Canada, which is difficult to be seen through.

It's ascertained by the Embassy in Canada that the Interpol China National Central Bureau has never set up a so-call "Liaison Office" in Canada. The Embassy has never directly dealt with specific cases such as the seizure of packages by Customs. Even if Chinese citizens living or traveling abroad are involved in certain cases in China, China's overseas institutions will never verify their personal information, especially personal bank account information, through phone calls. The Foreign Ministry's Consular Affairs Department and the Chinese Embassy in Canada here again call attention to Chinese citizens in Canada to raise vigilance and beware of phone frauds.

1. If you receive a fraud phone like this, please be careful not to be too credulous. Don't disclose your personal information and do not transfer or remit money. If you were accidentally deceived, please report to the local police immediately. If you accidentally give out your information, you can report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and require them to protect your property.

2. Be careful of your personal information. Fill in your name, cell phone number, bank card number and other private information with a prudent manner when you sign up for a website.

3. Keep clam when you are informed of information like "traffic accident", "your kid has been kidnapped" and "you are involved in judicial cases". Verify the information through other channels before making any decision.

Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre: 001-888-495-8501

For consular protection and assistance, please call the following emergency phone numbers:

Embassy of China in Canada: 001-613-789-3513

Consulate-General of China in Toronto: 001-416-5290068

Consulate-General of China in Calgary: 001-403-537-6916

Consulate-General of China in Vancouver: 001-778-238-0003

Consulate-General of China in Montreal: 001-438-401-6980

Global Emergency Call Centre for Consular Protection and Services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: +86-10-12308 or +86-10-59913991