Recently, a case of tuition fee fraud targeting international students has attracted attention. International student Mark (pseudonym) not only lost a huge amount of tuition fees but also almost faced legal risks due to his trust in "discount payment" services.

It is reported that Mark saw someone posting an advertisement on social media claiming to offer discounts on tuition fees through "special channels" to help international students pay tuition fees at a discount lower than the official exchange rate. At first, Mark Li was skeptical, but after the other party provided several small water, electricity, and gas fee payment services and indeed enjoyed a "discount", he gradually relaxed his vigilance.

Subsequently, Mark entrusted the other party to pay one semester's tuition fees and transferred tens of thousands of RMB to the account provided by the other party. The other party also sent a screenshot of the successful payment of tuition fees as agreed, and Mark thought everything was fine. However, a few days later, the school sent a notice urging for tuition fees, stating that they had not received Mark's tuition fees. Mark finally realized that he had been deceived, and by then the other party had already disappeared without a trace.

The police investigation found that this type of fraud mainly targets the group of international students, taking advantage of their unfamiliarity with local payment methods and their desire for cheap prices to commit fraud. Scammers usually use "discount payment" as bait, gaining trust through small payments in the early stage, and eventually disappearing after defrauding large amounts of funds.

In response to such fraud, the police remind international students:

1. Do not trust the so-called "discount payment" service. Payment of tuition fees should be directly handled through the school's official channels by contacting the counselor. Do not be tempted by cheap prices and lose big for small gains.

2. Be vigilant and protect personal information. Do not easily disclose personal identity information, bank account information, etc. to strangers to prevent information leakage.

3. Enhance legal awareness and avoid getting involved in illegal and criminal activities. Do not easily believe others' requests for "help" and avoid legal responsibility for assisting others in illegal activities.

作者：邢露萍（海外教育学院） 审核：朱丹