The FBI issued a public notice on Thursday, November 13th, targeting a new type of financial fraud scheme against Chinese-speaking residents living in the United States. Criminals often impersonate employees of American health insurance companies or Chinese law enforcement officers to defraud Chinese Americans.
Victims will receive a call from a fake claims department of a legitimate American health insurance company, conducting the conversation in Chinese, asking the recipient: Have you recently submitted any insurance claims for so-called surgeries?
Subsequently, the criminals will use video software to show the victim falsified bills and request payment.
If the recipient denies submitting a claim or having undergone surgery, the criminals will transfer the call to a person impersonating a Chinese law enforcement officer. This “officer” will demand personal information from the victim and threaten extradition or overseas prosecution, demanding a high bail amount.
The criminals may also instruct the victims to download video software and maintain an internet connection for 24-hour surveillance.
In the public notice, the FBI reminds Chinese Americans in the U.S. to:
1. Verify their medical insurance claims records through the insurance company’s website or customer service phone line;
2. Do not disclose any personal information to unsolicited callers, including health insurance website login information;
3. Do not make any payments to uninvited callers;
4. Do not allow anyone to control your computer or maintain a connection for video surveillance.
The notice advises Chinese Americans in the U.S. that if they encounter such impersonation scams, they should file a complaint with IC3 (www.ic3.gov) and provide the following information:
– Email address, phone number, domain name, and company name;
– Transaction or account information (even if no financial loss occurred);
– Details of interactions with the scammers.