Those Chinese-language robocalls are a scam to get your bank information, officials say

June 25, 2018

If you live in Washington, D.C., or another U.S. metropolitan area, you may have noticed that you’re on the receiving end of a barrage of Chinese-language robo-calls. The calls bring alarming news, and federal regulators and law-enforcement agencies say the automated messages are part of a nationwide scam targeting Chinese communities in the United States.

The spam callers say they have urgent business on behalf of the Chinese consulate, according to complaints received by the Federal Trade Commission. They share a story that grabs your attention: You have a package ready to be picked up at the Chinese consulate office, or you need to hand over information to avoid legal trouble. In either case, the FTC says, the callers ultimately ask for your credit card information, or to make a bank transfer to their accounts. According to the FTC and the actual Chinese consulate, the scammers appear to be targeting Chinese immigrants living in the United States or people with Chinese last names. Random consumers in areas that have sizable Chinese populations have also been called, according to the Federal Communications Commission...