Members of the local Chinese community have been warned to be on the lookout for scams.

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People who identified as culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) made 10,065 reports to Scamwatch in 2025.

Of these, 2,282 people reported having money stolen totalling $38.8 million. In 2024 this was $38.8 million.

The median loss of those identifying as CALD was $750, which was 50 per cent higher than the median of $400 made in reports to Scamwatch in 2025.

The Commonwealth Bank and NSW Police recently ran a scam awareness session in Hurstville with the local Chinese community, delivered in both Mandarin and English.

It follows reports by officers across several Police Area Commands have received reports of the scams, with some victims reporting losses of more than $50,000.

The scams appear to be targeting multicultural communities, including the Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian communities across Sydney.

Victims have reported receiving calls from someone claiming to be an official from an embassy, or police force, before being told that their passport and personal information were found on a recently arrested individual overseas.

The victim is then threatened with extradition or deportation to face the criminal justice system overseas unless they pay an amount of money.

Some victims have reported receiving multiple calls over several days and via different phone apps including Viber and WhatsApp.

Cybercrime Squad Commander Detective Acting Superintendent Jason Smith said scammers use many tactics to scare victims into handing over their personal information and money.

"These calls, and the threats made, may appear real, but they are not. These people are only trying to take advantage of your fears," Acting Superintendent Smith said.

"We understand people who receive such calls will be scared and concerned - if you do receive one of these calls, hang up and report it immediately.

"Some of these victims are vulnerable members of our community who are losing thousands of dollars in their savings.

"Anyone who thinks they may have received a scam call, or has fallen victim to a scam, is urged to report it."

Detective Acting Superintendent Smith said scam calls don't always come from a foreign number, they are often spoofed to appear to come from an Australian landline or mobile phone number.

Advice for the community:

• Do not share personal information or financial details over the phone
• Do not transfer funds to people you do not know
• Do not respond to threats or demands for payment
• Do not visit websites or click links provided by scammers

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a fraud or scam is urged to report the matter via the Report Cyber portal or at their local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Multilingual officers are stationed at various police stations. You can ring your local police station ahead of time to check which languages are available. Police also use tools such as the Language+ App to communicate with non-English speakers.

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