The Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued an alert about a fraud scheme that targets Chinese-speaking individuals across the United States. The scheme begins with an unsolicited phone call in Mandarin or Cantonese from someone claiming to represent a health insurance provider. The caller alleges that a surgery was recorded on the victim’s account without approval. The recipient is then told that an investigation is underway and is asked to participate in a follow-up call.
According to the FBI, the operation relies on caller ID spoofing to make the contact appear legitimate. The initial caller’s objective is to create urgency so the victim remains engaged.
Once the person questions the claim, the call is transferred to a second individual who poses as a Chinese law enforcement officer. This individual intensifies the pressure by telling the victim they face prosecution or extradition to China. Victims are sometimes ordered to download a video communication program and remain connected so the individual can monitor them. They are told that this monitoring is part of a criminal investigation. The FBI reports that the attacker may display forged documents or case files during the call to make the interaction appear credible. At this stage, the goal is to coerce the victim into paying a large sum of money described as bail or a security deposit.
The FBI states that victims of this operation have been pressured to provide personal information and wire funds to accounts controlled by the fraud group. In some cases, individuals have been told to avoid contact with friends and family until the matter is resolved. The FBI notes that this isolation tactic is used to prevent victims from seeking advice that may expose the fraud. The agency has also reported instances in which victims were directed to assist in transferring funds to criminals. This tactic effectively turns the victim into an unwitting participant in the broader operation.
The fraud is effective because it exploits fear of legal consequences and the perception that the callers represent familiar authorities. The use of both an American insurance provider and Chinese law enforcement creates a layered narrative that appears coherent to a target who may be unfamiliar with how these agencies operate. Linguistic familiarity is central to the scheme. By using Mandarin or Cantonese and referencing Chinese legal processes, the attacker builds trust and authority quickly. In addition, many victims may worry about the potential impact on their immigration status or travel plans, which increases the likelihood that they will comply.
The FBI advises anyone who receives an unexpected call of this kind to hang up and verify the matter directly with their insurance provider using known contact information. The agency stresses that law enforcement agencies do not demand payments by phone and do not instruct people to install communication programs for monitoring. Individuals who believe they have been targeted are encouraged to file a report through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov.
The FBI also recommends saving call records, screenshots, and transaction details, which can help investigators identify patterns in the scheme. Community groups and universities that serve Chinese-speaking residents are being encouraged to share the advisory to reduce the number of successful attempts.