Chinese students scammed into ‘hostage videos’

CHINESE students are being targeted in elaborate “virtual kidnappings” by scammers who force them to feature in fake hostage videos so they can extort money from their parents.

The fraud begins with the Chinese student receiving a call saying that their family have been implicated in a serious crime back home in China.

The scammers pretend to be senior Chinese officials from the embassy, or international crime fighters, and threaten the students with violence before forcing them to perform specific tasks, which can include filming a fake hostage video, that is then sent to their families in China who are told to hand over large ransom payments. The students are told if they do not comply, threats are made towards their families.

The Chinese embassy in London issued a warning about “several” cases in the UK after frauds were reported in the US, Australia and New Zealand. Additional reporting by Christine Wei