Mandarin scam calls making the rounds
Posted May 7, 2018 3:01 pm.
Last Updated May 7, 2018 4:17 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Does this phone call sound familiar?
Chances are you’ve received a call like this one from scammers speaking Mandarin. And while Lower Mainlanders may be getting swamped with these types of calls, it’s become an issue across North America.
Evan Kelly with the Better Business Bureau explains how the call plays out.
“[It sounds like] some sort of call from the Chinese Consulate. Obviously, they’re trying to target Chinese immigrants here in BC, that’s of course concerning,” he says. “What they’re claiming is that this person, the consulate received some sort of a package with their name on it that appears to be part of some crime.”
Kelly adds the scammer will then try to convince the person to send money to resolve the situation.
“They’re trying to get someone to follow the prompt on the phone call so that they’re actually talking to somebody and that person is where the scam is going to take place. They’re going to get them to send money to try and resolve this issue with this supposed package.”
As in every scam, an urgent need of money is a red flag.
Kelly has some tips: don’t give out your number or put it on social media, don’t answer your phone if you don’t recognize the number, and sign up for the Do Not Call registry.
