In recent years, with the increasing crackdown of public security organs and the anti-fraud propaganda carried out through various channels, it has become more and more difficult for criminals to succeed in telecommunication network fraud, and the cost of crime has become higher and higher. In order to evade the crackdown, some criminals began to target overseas student groups, trying to take advantage of the information gap at home and abroad to defraud international students. Shanghai police announced a case today (16th) in which an international student studying in Singapore experienced a nightmare of being "controlled" for more than 40 days after receiving a strange phone call.
One day in June this year, Xiao Wang, a Chinese student studying in Singapore, received a "special" phone call. The other party claimed to be a staff member of a telecommunications company, and found that a Singapore calling card under Xiao Wang's name had been complained and reported by many people because of the release of multiple suspected fraudulent text messages, and the suspected identity information was fraudulently used.
International student Xiao Wang: He said that he found that my mobile phone number was committing fraud, and sent more than 1,600 fraudulent text messages, and 16 people have been deceived and reported to the police. Then he asked me to go to the Shanghai Baoshan District Public Security Bureau to call the police, but because I was in Singapore, I didn't know what the police number was at that time, so he said it didn't matter, I could help you transfer, and then he helped me transfer to the "police".
After the call was transferred, the so-called police of the Baoshan Branch asked Xiao Wang to download an overseas communication software first, and asked Xiao Wang to delete all kinds of domestic social software that had been installed in the mobile phone on the grounds that information might be leaked. What's even more incredible is that the so-called police began to monitor Xiao Wang for more than 40 days on the grounds of ascertaining the case.
Xiao Wang, an international student: The other party identified me as a suspect, and he supervised me 24 hours a day for a period of time. Later, he suddenly told me that their "Supreme Prosecutor General" had issued an order to take all the suspects abroad back to China. This "policeman" didn't want me to be detained and returned to China, so he asked me to work with him to figure out how to return to China without being detained, and he said that I could be released on bail pending trial.
The so-called 24-hour supervision requires Xiao Wang to share the screen of his mobile phone through the newly downloaded overseas communication software, so that Xiao Wang's calls and any operations are monitored. During this period, he was not allowed to disclose the circumstances of the case to anyone, nor was he allowed to return to his country.
International student Xiao Wang: When no one is around, the other party points the mobile phone camera at me to see what I am doing. If someone next to me is just talking on the phone and listening to my voice, including me chatting with my friends, eating, etc., he can hear me. If I'm going to use this phone alone, such as watching videos, chatting, etc., let me go and share the screen so that he can see what my screen is doing.
The so-called surveillance is described as being released on bail abroad without returning to China, but in fact it is to prevent Xiao Wang from finding out the scam by inquiring about similar experiences. In this way, the fraudsters actually monitored it for more than a month. One day in late July, the other party suddenly said that he needed to take all the suspects back to China, and told Xiao Wang that he could intercede with the so-called "prosecutor general" and apply for continued bail pending trial, but he needed to come up with a security deposit of 390,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to 2.13 million yuan.
Parents are alert to travel to Singapore but their children have returned home
In order to help Xiao Wang ask his parents for money more reasonably, the fraudsters forged an "admission letter" on the grounds of keeping the case confidential, asked Xiao Wang to apply for a new bank card, and asked Xiao Wang's parents to transfer the money to a new bank account on the grounds that the "international exchange student" needed proof of property.
Xiao Wang's mother: She said that she was an exchange student and an admission letter, and I was quite happy at the time, and I said yes. She said she wanted S$390,000, and when I heard it, I said that I would be back tomorrow, and you came to me today and told me that I wanted S$390,000, and I said that the state has regulations that the money cannot be remitted.
Unable to come up with this large sum of money in a short period of time, Xiao Wang's mother asked a local friend in Singapore for help, and the friend found that there were many errors in this so-called "admission letter".
Xiao Wang's mother: My friends in Singapore said that this school has no option for exchange students in Singapore, so this matter is completely fake. When I heard that, my first reaction was that my daughter was in danger.
Worried about Xiao Wang's safety, the anxious parents decided to rush to Singapore while raising money. At this time, Xiao Wang has been "deeply brainwashed" by fraudsters, insisting that there is no problem. The fraudsters realized that Xiao Wang's mother might have found out the clue and asked Xiao Wang to return to China immediately. In this way, both parties got on their planes without their knowledge. Xiao Wang's parents came to their daughter's place of residence in Singapore and found only a note left by their daughter.
Xiao Wang's mother: As soon as I looked at this piece of paper, I knew that she had been scammed, what she wrote to ask for bail pending trial, etc. I knew it was a scam as soon as I saw it.
Since their daughter was on the plane, the phone could not be reached, so Xiao Wang's parents reported the case to the Singapore police. While investigating, the local police also reported the case to the Chinese Embassy in Singapore in a timely manner, and then the relevant staff coordinated the Chinese police to carry out the investigation simultaneously. After receiving the report, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security instructed the Shanghai police to follow up and carry out follow-up work.
Wang Yehua, policeman of the Ninth Detachment of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: We must first study and judge the person, because we were not sure where the person was at that time, and it is possible that she will continue to be deceived by the scammer after returning to China, and then she may go to the previous routine of pretending to be a public prosecutor and law fraud, she may go to open a hotel, or find a secluded and uninhabited place, and then communicate with the scammer alone.
Under the persuasion of many parties, the deceived international students suddenly woke up
The police learned that Xiao Wang was on the plane back to China, so they arranged for the airport police at Shanghai Pudong Airport to take Xiao Wang off the plane as soon as the plane landed. However, Xiao Wang experienced a long period of threats and intimidation from fraudsters, and developed a strong resistance to the real police in front of him.
After the police saw Xiao Wang, they asked her to talk to her parents first, and Xiao Wang finally agreed to take the police car back to his home. Subsequently, the Shanghai Anti-Fraud Center instructed the anti-fraud police of the Jiading Branch to rush to Xiao Wang's home to carry out further dissuasion work.
The anti-fraud police changed their thinking, and arranged for community workers to jointly carry out dissuasion work through the anti-fraud centers in neighborhoods and towns. By restoring Xiao Wang's experience of being deceived step by step, and clearly informing Xiao Wang of the case-handling process of the public security organs, Xiao Wang finally understood that online case handling, telephone case handling, and even cross-border telephone case handling, release on bail pending trial and other words are all fraudulent words.
After more than an hour of persuasion, Xiao Wang finally woke up and realized that he had actually fallen into the "electric fraud trap" after thinking calmly.
Lu Hang, anti-fraud police officer of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Jiading Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: After I came to explain to her this step, for example, why do I want to talk to you 24 hours a day, first of all, the criminals want to cut off your contact with the outside world to prevent you from having a certain contact with your family or the police, and then the scam will be exposed. Including after returning to China, don't tell your family about such a process, why you do it, and analyze her little by little based on my work experience.
So far, this telecommunications network fraud crime against international student Xiao Wang has finally failed.
Lu Hang, a police officer of the anti-fraud squad of the Criminal Investigation Detachment of the Jiading Branch of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: The group of international students is quite special because they are overseas, and they may have been overseas for a long time. So about the fraud that pretends to be the public procuratorate and law in our country, and even the propaganda measures that may be some of our telecommunications network fraud, he can't see it, or it is difficult to get in touch with it.
The police reminded that international students should continue to improve their awareness of anti-fraud, understand common fraud methods and routines, and communicate with their parents, relatives, relatives and friends when they encounter problems, and can also seek protection and assistance from local embassies and consulates. It is important to keep in mind the principle of "three nos and one more": do not click on unknown links, do not trust strange calls, do not disclose personal information, verify transfers and remittances, and do not let fraudsters take advantage of them.
Source: CCTV news client