Taiwan warns of fake Chinese police scam in Canada

Taipei, Aug. 12 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) recently raised its travel alert to parts of Canada after several Taiwanese there reported being scammed by fraudsters posing as Chinese police officers over the phone.

In the updated release on Friday, MOFA's Bureau of Consular Affairs raised the travel warning issued for Canada's Greater Toronto Area and Ontario to the lowest level color grey, citing rampant telecommunication fraud involving fraudsters posing as Chinese police officers.

Without providing much detail, MOFA's notice said a number of Taiwanese students in the Greater Toronto area have been defrauded as part of such schemes with some of them "suffering huge financial losses."

Such scams have also being widely reported in other parts of Canada, it added.

MOFA called on nationals to be aware of such fraud schemes and to remain calm if they receive suspicious phone calls.

Always verify with the authorities before sharing personal information, such as passport numbers, personal ID numbers and bank account details and never wire money based on instructions given over the phone, it added.

For emergency services, Taiwanese in the Toronto area can call Taiwan's office in Toronto at 1-416-587-8111 or ask their families in Taiwan to contact MOFA's Taipei headquarters via its 24/7 toll free hotline at 0800-085-095, it said.

MOFA uses a four-tier travel advisory regarding safety and security risks.

The lowest level, grey, signifies caution should be exercised; yellow suggests travel should be reconsidered; orange indicates unnecessary travel should be avoided; and red asks nationals not to travel to a destination.

Police in Metro Vancouver also recently issued a public warning after a single victim reported losing more than 1.5 million Canadian dollars in a similar fraud scheme.

In a July 24 public alert, police in Metro Vancouver said a victim reported sending the money after fraudsters falsely told him/her about a supposed outstanding arrest warrant in Hong Kong.

Sgt. Dave Au said in a statement that the criminals are "highly convincing," using tactics designed to instill fear in the victim and compel them to comply with demands.

This particular fraud targets the Asian community, but all residents should remain vigilant, according to the alert.