Dear students and colleagues,

Recently, telephone scams have continued to surge in Macao, and criminals have been impersonating telecom companies, courier services, or government officials. They would allege that victims are involved in crimes or that their personal information has been stolen and then transfer the call to the so-called “Public Security Bureau.” To defraud money, perpetrators would pose as officers and threaten the victims with “immediate arrest,” “travel restrictions,” or “freezing of bank account” and accurately recite the victim’s name, identification number, and date of birth, to pressure the victims into cooperating with “online investigation,” “screen sharing,” and paying “deposit” to secure a chance for bail pending trial. Therefore, UM will continue to promote various initiatives of the “Campus Anti-Fraud Vaccination Programme” in collaboration with the Judiciary Police. Starting from the orientation activities in July, we have launched a series of scam prevention awareness campaigns to enhance the scam prevention awareness of our staff and students.

• Post scam prevention posters, banners, and other promotional materials provided by the Judiciary Police on bulletin boards and electronic screens throughout the campus (such as in faculties, residential colleges, staff quarters, bus stops, campus restaurants, etc).

• Invite the Judiciary Police to conduct scam prevention seminars on campus, targeting new students’ parents, residential leaders, residents of the residential colleges and staff, etc.

• Invite the Judiciary Police to set up scam prevention booths during the orientation weeks.

• Distribute electronic scam prevention tips on the UM login screen, in various student WeChat groups, and to all students and their parents.

• Deliver scam prevention messages to residents during courses in the residential colleges and through resident leaders.

Encourage you to participate in the 2024 National Network Security Awareness Week by promoting the following scam prevention information to your schoolmates and colleagues so as to contribute to crime prevention efforts:

Recently, there has been a surge in telecom scam cases in Macau, with nearly half of the victims being students. Scammers have devised various schemes and employed intimidation and threats to extort money from students and their families. To avoid becoming the next victim, you must stay vigilant. When receiving calls from unknown numbers, do not share your personal information, bank account details, passwords, or verification codes, and do not let the caller see your phone screen.

There are three essential techniques for scam prevention: Refuse, Hang up, and Report! If you suspect that you have been scammed or encounter any suspicious situations, please contact your resident fellows or the Student Affairs Office immediately (Tel: 88224901 / Email: sao@um.edu.mo). We will assist you in clarifying the situation and preventing further scam cases.

Regards,

Student Affairs Office