Dear students,

In recent years, various telecommunication and internet scams have emerged in Macao. Youths are often targeted by fraudsters due to their high dependence on the internet and technological tools, as well as their relatively limited social experience. Fraud syndicates carefully design traps of deception, infiltrating and implementing deceptive tactics through multiple online channels, specifically targeting students in Macao, especially those attending higher education institutions. Examples include scammers impersonating government agencies (commonly police, prosecutors, or courts), online dating scams, high-return investment scams, or online concert ticket fraud for events held in Macao. Typical modus operandi include luring young people into revealing personal information, inducing them into transferring money or even coercing them into participating in illegal activities. Such actions not only can cause financial losses but may also lead to long-term psychological trauma and interpersonal trust crises, and the actors involved may also violate the laws of Macao.

The Judiciary Police (PJ) reminds all students to heighten their vigilance against fraud. Please bear in mind the following anti-fraud tips to avoid falling victim to scams.

Tips for fraud prevention:

1. Keep calm and respond cautiously: When receiving suspicious calls, do not readily believe the caller, and never disclose personal information such as bank account numbers, passwords, or verification codes.
2. Actively verify and cross-check: Use official channels or directly contact family and friends to confirm the other party’s identity or verify the information’s authenticity.
3. Stay alert when receiving unusual requests: When you hear acts like “conducting video investigations,” “screen sharing,” “bail pending trial,” “transferring money to a safe account,” or “purchasing game points for payment,” they are indicative of scams.
4. Share information and jointly prevent scams: Pay close attention to anti-fraud information released by our bureau and forward it to remind family and friends to raise awareness.
5. If you encounter fraud, please remain calm: Quickly use PJ’s “Anti-Fraud Program” to examine the fraud risk index, or call the Judiciary Police’s Anti-Fraud Enquiry Hotline 88007777, Crime Report Hotline at 993, or contact Student Affairs Office of University of Macau (Tel: 8822 4901 email: sao@um.edu.mo) for assistance and inquiry.

If you would like to learn more about the modus operandi of criminals and preventive measures against crimes, please visit our website at www.pj.gov.mo

Regards,

The Youth Concern Group

Community Policing and Public Relations

Division of the Judiciary Police