The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warns the public about an evolving financial fraud scheme targeting Chinese-speaking individuals residing in the United States in which criminals impersonate U.S. health insurance providers and Chinese law enforcement.
Targeted individuals receive a call from a spoofed telephone number of a legitimate U.S. health insurance provider’s claims department. The call is conducted in Chinese, and the recipient is asked about recent insurance claims for alleged surgical procedures. The criminal then shows the recipient fraudulent invoices on screen using video communication software and demands payment.
If the recipient denies having filed the claim or that the procedure took place, the criminal transfers the recipient to someone purporting to be Chinese law enforcement. The law enforcement impersonator then asks for personal information, threatens the individual with extradition or foreign prosecution, and demands a large payment for bail. The impersonator may instruct the victim to download video communication software and maintain connectivity for 24-hour surveillance.
The FBI offers the following advice to prevent becoming a victim:
- Independently verify your health insurance claim records through the health insurance website or customer service phone number.
- Do not share any personal information, including health insurance website login information, with an unsolicited caller.
- Do not wire any money to an unsolicited caller.
- Do not allow anyone to gain control of your computer or maintain connectivity for video surveillance.
Anyone or someone they know who has fallen victim to this impersonation scam can file a complaint with the IC3 at www.ic3.gov. Be sure to include any available information including:
- emails, phone numbers, domains, and company names
- transaction or account information even if no funds were lost
- details regarding the interaction with the scammers