Chinese authority scams fleece international students in Australia of $5m in five months

Almost 680 Chinese authority scams were reported to the anti-scam centre in the first five months of 2025. Photograph: Wavebreak Media ltd/Alamy

Scammers pretending to be Chinese authorities are increasingly targeting international students in Australia, threatening “serious trouble” and 24-hour surveillance and fleecing them of more than $5m in just five months.

The scammers claim to be Chinese law enforcement officers who demand that personal information or money be transferred to them.