Phone Scam Targets Chinese Residents In MoCo: Police

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — Montgomery County Police Department warns residents of an ongoing phone scam that has taken some $1.5 million from the pockets of Chinese residents since May.

According to police, the scam calls often start with a scammer speaking a dialect of Chinese who claims he or she is from a government or law enforcement organization located in China or Hong Kong or the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C.

The scammer then tells the victim that he or she has fallen victim to identity theft and must provide personal details and banking information to clear his or her name.

The receiver is then instructed to wire money and threatened that if he or she does not comply, he will face consequences including deportation and detention in a Chinese prison. The receiver is also told not to disclose the issue to anyone.

In these particular types of financial crimes, because the suspects are believed to be located outside of the United States, it is often difficult for investigators to identify and prosecute the suspects and recoup the victims’ money.

For that reason, investigators urge residents to share this phone scam information, particularly those residents in the Chinese community.

Anyone who believes he/she has been a victim of this scam and has not reported to the Police Department is asked to call detectives at 240-773-6330.

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