FBI reports Chinese embassy robocall scam is back

Robocalls are the worst, but an even sketchier call is back with a vengeance, scamming people out hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The FBI calls it the Chinese Embassy Scam, and it comes in as a call in Chinese claiming to be from the Chinese consulate or embassy. Other versions of the scam come from a shipping company about a package waiting for them at the embassy. 

The phone numbers look legitimate, so in yet another variation of the scam when the caller says a package was found with their passport, social security card, or credit card, it’s more believable. Victims are then passed onto an “investigator” from Chinese law enforcement who requests funds to resolve the problem. If they won’t wire over money, they’re threatened with jail or deportation. Some even ask for cryptocurrency or credit card info.

The FBI says victims are mostly of Asian descent or visiting the U.S. from China. In some cases, the scammers attack the victim again by calling their families and asking for a kidnap ransom to release the family member.

Since December 2017 more than 350 victim complaints have come in, totaling a shocking $40 million taken by scammers. The average loss is $164,000, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

The scam reached its peak last year, but continues with reports coming in through February. YouMail tracks robocalls and found the February 2019 nationwide call number was almost 5 billion. But most of those are more innocuous, telling you about a fake sweepstakes you won or fabricated health insurance paperwork problems. All, however, can still be extremely frustrating.