A Chinese Student in Japan Arrested for Fraud
A Chinese student studying in Japan has been arrested by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police for allegedly impersonating Chinese police officers to commit fraud. The student is suspected of colluding with accomplices last month to defraud a Chinese man in his 30s of approximately 500 Japanese yen. This incident exemplifies the tragic phenomenon of one compatriot deceiving another in a foreign land, where Chinese speakers are scammed by their own countrymen.
According to Japanese media reports, 22-year-old Zhong Jiacheng (the suspect) allegedly defrauded a Chinese man living in Tokyo last month by first calling him to inform him that his phone number had been stolen and involved in a fraud case. Zhong then impersonated a Chinese police officer, convincing the man to sign a document agreeing to cooperate with an investigation. The entire incident mirrors tactics used by fraud gangs impersonating Chinese police officers to scam Chinese students in Hong Kong, as shared by two victims in a BBC interview.
Japanese police stated that the Chinese student told the victim that a warrant for his arrest had been issued by the Chinese police and that he needed to pay money first. The victim reported the incident to the Japanese police, who discovered that the phone number used by the suspect was fake. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police believe that there may be a fraud ring operating behind the student and are currently conducting further investigations.
With the crackdown on telecom fraud in Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia, fraud groups have revamped their tactics, now targeting Chinese students studying globally. After exploiting victims, they may recruit them to become part of the fraud ring, engaging in scams against others. Recently, there have even been reports of students being coerced into staging their own kidnappings, taking photos and videos to extort ransom from their parents.
Chinese Students Targeted by Fraud Rings
A large number of Chinese students are sent to Japan by their families for education, leading to a situation where, in some Japanese high schools, the number of Chinese students exceeds that of Japanese students. Recently, allegations have surfaced regarding Chinese students committing fraud against their compatriots. Chinese students have become the most exploited “tools” by fraud rings; after being scammed themselves, they may also be recruited to defraud others. To prevent the expansion of fraud rings in Japan, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police have specially produced promotional materials in simplified Chinese, publicizing the methods used by fraud rings for students to reference.
Frequent Telecom Scams Impersonating Chinese Authorities
Chinese residents in Japan often receive scam calls impersonating Chinese police and embassies demanding money. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police have specifically warned Chinese students that any calls claiming they are involved in certain cases and requiring payment from their parents to prove their innocence are “all scams.” They emphasize the importance of reporting such calls to the police and contacting family members, advising against answering unknown calls.
Chinese Students Used in “Self-Directed” Virtual Kidnappings
In addition to the frequent reports of fraud involving Chinese students in Japan, there have been numerous cases globally of Chinese students being coerced by fraud rings into self-directed virtual kidnappings, demanding ransom from their parents. This type of scam is referred to as “virtual kidnapping.” According to reports from Singapore’s Asia News Network, these new tactics specifically target Chinese students, convincing them to take selfies portraying themselves as kidnapped and sending those to their parents in China to demand ransom.
One case involved a high school student named Zhuang Kai from Hangzhou, China, who went to study in the United States. After five months of living with a host family, he went missing. His family in China received photos of him allegedly being kidnapped along with a ransom letter, which turned out to be fabricated as part of the fraud ring’s strategy to scam his parents. The fraud ring even impersonated “Chinese police,” wearing uniforms and appearing before the students overseas, causing the inexperienced students to believe they were genuinely involved in some cases and needed to comply with their demands. A common aspect of these incidents is that students are typically asked to transfer money from their own bank accounts to the fraud ring, and after emptying the bank, the ring would further threaten the students to take photos and videos of their “kidnapping” to demand money from their parents.
The variety of scams continues to grow, making it easier for students to be exploited and become accomplices of fraud rings. Currently, Japanese universities and high schools are filled with Chinese students, prompting the Tokyo Metropolitan Police to pay special attention to cases of Chinese students scamming their compatriots. While there are fewer Taiwanese students studying in Japan compared to Chinese students, they should also remain particularly vigilant.
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