Scammers impersonating Chinese police officers are continuing to target international students in Philadelphia – particularly students from China – in an attempt to get money from the victims, the city's FBI field office said.

The FBI said that since 2022, criminals pretending to be police officers have contacted Chinese students attending Philadelphia universities under the guise that the victims are being investigated for alleged financial crimes in China, and need to make a payment in order to avoid being arrested.

The scammers tell victims their personal information has been linked to a financial fraud investigation, and then transfer calls to a Chinese provincial police department that's allegedly investigating the victim, the FBI said. Someone posing as a Chinese police officer then details the alleged crimes and pressures the scam victim to return to China to face trial, threatens them with arrest, coerces them into allowing 24/7 video and audio monitoring and orders them to stay quiet about the alleged case.

According to the FBI, Chinese students have then been ordered to wire money to a Chinese bank account or pay via cryptocurrency to "prove their innocence or to post bail" to avoid going back to China.

"These scams leave real and last harm that extends far beyond a financial loss," said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. "This is why we continue to work closely with our partners across academia, law enforcement, and the public to identify victims and connect them with the resources they need. If you or someone you know has been impacted by a scam like this, please reach out. Pursuing justice and victim support remain our priority, and we will continue working to hold offenders accountable and ensure those harmed receive the assistance they need."

In 2025, the FBI released a photo of a suspect they said was involved in the yearslong impersonation scam. The man, who was not named by the FBI at that time, was wanted in connection to the scam as recently as January of last year.

Anyone who believes they're a victim of these scams is encouraged to report it to the Internet Crime Complaint Center or their local FBI field office.

Victims should also report the activity to the payment service provider used in the transaction, contact their financial institution to stop or reverse the payment, and report suspicious activity to their campus security department or public safety office.