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Scam alert

Caller Claims to Be Chinese Police or a Prosecutor? Hang Up

Posted

New York and nationwide · queensda.org · Arrives by a phone call, then video calls

The short answer

A caller who says they are Chinese police or a Chinese prosecutor, tells you that you are under investigation in China, and demands money to avoid arrest or extradition is running a scam. In October 2026, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz warned the Chinese community in New York that these callers use spoofed official phone numbers and documents that look authentic, and prosecutors allege that one Queens woman wired $350,000 after a man posed as a Chinese prosecutor. Hang up, send nothing, and call your local police.

What is happening

On October 9, 2026, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz warned members of the Chinese community about callers who impersonate Chinese police officers and prosecutors, claim the person is being investigated for insurance fraud in China, and demand immediate payment to avoid arrest and possible extradition, using spoofed official phone numbers and fraudulent documents that look authentic. In the case her office described, which rests on charges that are allegations, a woman was told in July that an insurance account in her name was being used for illegal claims, was contacted daily over Zoom and Teams by a man posing as a provincial police officer, and was then told by a man posing as a prosecutor to wire $350,000 or be extradited. She sent the money in two transfers, and one man was later arrested at a bank branch in Queens, Shore News Network also reported.

How to recognize it

  • A caller says they are Chinese police or a Chinese prosecutor and that you are under investigation for a crime in China, such as insurance fraud.
  • You are told to pay or wire money right away to avoid arrest or extradition.
  • The first call can be about something else, such as an account opened in your name, before you are transferred to the "police."
  • The contact moves to Zoom, Teams, or another video app, sometimes every day.
  • You are told not to tell anyone, or warned that anyone you tell could be implicated.
  • You are given a story to tell bank staff about the transfer, such as sending money to a relative to buy a house.
  • The number on your phone looks official, or you are shown documents that look real. Both can be faked.

What to do instead

  1. Hang up. Do not send money, and do not share personal or bank details.
  2. Contact your local police precinct. In Queens, you can also call the Queens District Attorney's Consumer Frauds Hotline at 718-286-6673.
  3. If someone says they are Chinese authorities, you can report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. The FBI says foreign officials doing legitimate law enforcement work in the United States must act in coordination with U.S. federal authorities.
  4. Talk it over with family, a friend, or bank staff before moving any money. Being told to keep it secret is part of the pattern.
  5. If you want to tell someone, the rule is: police from another country cannot phone you and demand money to stop an arrest.

If it already happened

Responding to one of these is common and understandable. These steps are what people usually take next.

  1. Sending money after a frightening call like this is common and understandable. These calls are built on fear, secrecy, and official-looking proof.
  2. Call your bank right away and tell them the transfer was part of a scam.
  3. Report it to your local police and to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. In Queens, you can call the Consumer Frauds Hotline at 718-286-6673.
  4. Keep the phone numbers that called, the names given, any documents you were sent, and the account details where money went. The FBI asks for these details even if no money was lost.
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Common questions

The call came from a number that looked official. Doesn't that make it real?
No. The Queens District Attorney said these callers use spoofed official phone numbers, and the FBI says contact from an apparently official phone number is not proof of official action.
Can police from China investigate me while I live in the United States?
The FBI says foreign government officials conducting legitimate law enforcement activity in the United States must act in coordination with U.S. federal authorities. A phone call or video call demanding that you pay to avoid arrest or extradition is not that.
Why do these calls target the Chinese community?
Prosecutors in Queens and the FBI both describe callers targeting members of the Chinese community in the United States. The callers choose who to call; being contacted says nothing about the person who answered.

Practice this safely

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Caller Claims to Be Chinese Police or a Prosecutor? Hang Up

A caller who says they are Chinese police or a Chinese prosecutor, tells you that you are under investigation in China, and demands money to avoid arrest or extradition is running a scam. In October 2026, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz warned the Chinese community in New York that these callers use spoofed official phone numbers and documents that look authentic, and prosecutors allege that one Queens woman wired $350,000 after a man posed as a Chinese prosecutor. Hang up, send nothing, and call your local police.

Read the full alert: https://endscamsproject.com/latest-scams/chinese-police-impersonation-extortion-scam

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