On Saturday, April 18, a special agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in San Francisco warned anonymously about the increasing threat of “cross-border repression” within the United States, pointing fingers at China, as well as involving Russia and Iran. The agent stated that criminal activities involving fraud by impersonating Chinese public security officers in the United States are becoming more rampant.
To combat cross-border repression and financial fraud in the United States, FBI special agent and forensic accountant made an appearance today at the FBI’s San Francisco office. The forensic accountant pointed out that in 2025, individuals in the United States incurred losses amounting to $7.9 billion due to investment fraud, a significant increase from $5.7 billion in 2024, with a majority of cases being reported by young people.
In recent years, the San Francisco office has received multiple reports of international students falling victim to fraud schemes; one significant case occurred in 2023. A female student studying at a prestigious university in the Bay Area was intimidated by criminals pretending to be Chinese public security officers shortly after arriving in the United States. Through remote video control lasting over three months, she was defrauded of approximately $70,000 and narrowly escaped losing a massive $200,000.
The criminals even falsely accused the female student of involvement in a major international fugitive case, secretly sending Interpol officers to the United States to arrest her and bring her back to China for trial. They demanded that she undergo a remote investigation in the United States without disclosing the details to anyone.
The FBI special agent pointed out that these crimes combining cross-border repression and financial fraud are increasingly rampant in the United States, with the culprits usually targeting overseas Chinese. The fraud schemes involve several steps, where the criminals first claim to represent the Chinese authorities and contact the victims via phone or text messages, informing them of their involvement in criminal activities. Failure to cooperate with the investigation could lead to deportation, arrest, or repatriation to China. Subsequently, they threaten the victims to transfer funds to Chinese bank accounts as proof of innocence.
The special agent emphasized that victims come from all age groups, ranging from college students to the elderly.
Regarding cross-border repression, the special agent also highlighted that these actions are directed by foreign governments who interfere with law enforcement in the United States. Common targets include human rights advocates, dissenters, journalists, political opponents, and ethnic minorities.
The special agent mentioned various cases of China engaging in cross-border repression using diverse methods, including “doxing,” where victims’ personal information is exposed online, leading to not only harassment but also physical attacks.
He also addressed the issue of China’s abuse of the Interpol “red notice,” targeting individuals seeking asylum in the United States, mostly Uighurs, threatening or arresting the victims’ families in China. “Unfortunately, when dealing with cases related to China, such situations are not uncommon.”
He stated that the lack of an extradition treaty between the United States and China is primarily due to China’s inability to assure the United States of fair trials for repatriated individuals. As a result, cooperation between the two countries is minimal, and cases are handled on a case-by-case basis.
The special agent warned that China, Russia, and Iran are the top three most active countries engaging in cross-border repression within the United States.
(Translated from Central News Agency)