This article was originally reported in September 2025.
Boston University students lost $624,300 to scammers between Jan. 1 and Sept. 18, 2025, according to the Boston University Police Department (BUPD), and about 90% of that total came from just four cases in which impostors posed as Chinese police or officials (BU Today, Sept. 22, 2025).
What BUPD found
- 29 larceny scams were reported in the period. Job and employment scams were the most common, with 19 incidents, followed by the Chinese-official impersonation cases. “Job/employment scams were the most reported among BU students, with 19 incidents,” said Ryan Menzel, BUPD’s research analyst for safety, security and preparedness.
- Many channels: the scams arrived by phone, text and email and through WeChat, Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit and job boards.
- Other impersonations: scammers targeting BU students also posed as the Federal Communications Commission, the U.S. Postal Service and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Police elsewhere in Massachusetts reported similar schemes. The Massachusetts State Police had about 100 recent reports of calls from people claiming to be troopers with an “Internet Crime Complaint Center,” who told victims their identity had been used for crimes in China and asked them to stay on the line to speak with “Shanghai Police”; the scheme was nationwide. Boston Police warned about fake landlords advertising nonexistent or already-rented apartments on social media and asking for payment by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency before a viewing (BU Today).
Why international students are targeted
BU’s International Students & Scholars Office (ISSO) warns that scammers use intimidation and threats of immigration penalties or deportation to extract money from international students. They often claim to be from the government or law enforcement and may use personal information obtained illegally to sound convincing. Visa fraud schemes may also promise faster visa appointments, guaranteed green cards or quick fixes in exchange for payment (BU Today). A November 2023 BUPD fraud warning about a caller posing as Chinese law enforcement who told a student to wire money to a Hong Kong bank stressed that police will never ask for payment to resolve a criminal matter (BUPD Crime Alert).
BUPD’s advice
- If someone says you are under investigation, hang up and contact local police, BUPD, a parent or a trusted friend. Hang up if you feel pressured.
- Do not trust caller ID; call back on a number you know is genuine. Search the company, phone number or phrase together with the word “scam.”
- Slow down and talk to someone you trust before giving money or personal information.
- Never rent an apartment without visiting it, and sign a written lease that identifies the owner before sending money.
- Do not pay upfront fees for prizes, jobs, loans or debt relief, and be very cautious about wire transfers, gift cards, prepaid cards and cryptocurrency, which are hard to recover.
- Never deposit a check and send part of the money back: if the check is fake, you must repay the bank.
- Hang up on recorded sales calls; do not press 1 to talk to someone or to be taken off a list.
BU students can report scams to BUPD (617-353-2121) or local police and to the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov, and international students can reach ISSO’s Advisor-On-Call for quick immigration questions or their assigned advisor for in-depth help.
What this means for international students
- Government agencies do not call to demand money. Immigration status questions go through your school’s international office (the Designated School Official), not through phone calls from “officials.”
- Job offers can be a trap and a status risk. Employment scams were the most common type at BU. Beyond losing money, F-1 students should remember that off-campus work requires authorization, so any job that seems to need no paperwork deserves extra suspicion.
- Housing deposits: see our housing guide for international students for how to check a landlord and lease.
- More scam types: our guide to scams targeting college and international students covers official impersonation, “virtual kidnapping,” fake checks, phishing and what to do if you have been scammed.
- About BU: Boston University is No. 34 in the 2027 U.S. News Best National Universities ranking (Forward Pathway).