Students Scammed Over $220K in Distributed Phone Fraud Cases

Two university students became victims of elaborate phone scams involving impersonation and threats, resulting in significant financial losses. A 20-year-old Chinese student at Purdue University was scammed out of over $220,000 by someone impersonating a Chinese official who threatened deportation unless payments were made. Similarly, a 26-year-old female student in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, lost approximately RM187,800 after a phone scam syndicate pretending to be a Touch 'n Go representative accused her of money laundering and drug trafficking. The Malaysian victim made multiple payments and handed over valuable jewelry in attempts to clear her name before realizing the fraud and reporting it to police. Authorities in both cases emphasized the vulnerability of foreign nationals and the importance of verifying suspicious calls and transactions using official channels to avoid such scams. Public warnings and tools like the 'Semak Mule' application and National Scam Response Centre hotline have been recommended to prevent further victimization.