International students applying to Chinese universities are increasingly targeted by scams: fake scholarships, impersonated university officers, bogus police threats, and "too good to be true" agents. This post explains the common scam patterns, concrete red flags, how to verify offers and scholarships (step-by-step), and what to do immediately if you're targeted. All in one shareable, copy-paste friendly checklist you can use right away.
Why This Matters
Scams can cost you money, identity documents, and your future (fraudulent offers can lead to visa problems or academic record issues). Recent reports show criminals targeting international students with laundering schemes, fake police extortion, and other social-engineering attacks.
Many students are unfamiliar with how Chinese official systems (e.g., CHSI for degree verification or CSC for government scholarships) publish and verify information. Knowing where to check prevents exploitation.
Quick Overview (TL;DR)
- Top red flags: unsolicited "guaranteed" scholarships, requests for payment via informal channels, pressure/urgent threats (esp. impersonating police), offers from non-official emails, and lack of verifiable paperwork.
- Verify universities via CHSI (学信网) and directly with the university's official international office.
- Verify government scholarships via the China Scholarship Council (CSC) site or the university's scholarship pages.
- If scammed: stop payments, document everything, contact your bank, report to local police and your embassy, and notify the university.
Real Scam Patterns You'll See
Fake Scholarship/Agent Offers
Promises of "guaranteed full CSC scholarship" but demand fees, taxes, or "registration payments" to be sent via WeChat/Western Union/crypto. (Official CSC awards do not require upfront fees paid to private agents.)
Impersonated Police or Government Officials
Calling/texting, threatening arrest unless you transfer money or provide ID documents. These are widely reported and targeted at Chinese students overseas.
Money-Laundering Job Offers
Fake "part-time" jobs that require you to accept funds and forward them. Law enforcement agencies have flagged these as a growing trend.
Bogus Offer Letters
Look plausible but are sent from personal Gmail/Hotmail addresses, or include inconsistent details (wrong program name, mismatched dates, unusual payment instructions).
Top Red Flags (Quick Checklist)
- They ask for payment via personal channels (WeChat, Western Union, MoneyGram, cryptocurrency) before any official paperwork.
- The "offer" comes from a non-university email (Gmail, Hotmail) or from an odd domain that does not match the university website.
- You are told to keep the communication secret, or pressured with deadlines/penalties.
- Documents have poor English/Chinese, typos, or inconsistent formatting.
- The recruiter/agent refuses a live video call with a university official, or avoids putting things in writing.
- The "scholarship" or "grant" doesn't appear on the official CSC or university scholarship page.
- They ask for scanned passport + bank login/passwords or for you to transfer money to a private account for "processing fees."
How to Verify a University Offer: Step by Step
- Check the sender email: official university offers come from the university domain (e.g., @fudan.edu.cn). If it's Gmail/Hotmail, treat with suspicion.
- Confirm the program on the university website: find the program page and international admissions page; compare program names and intake dates.
- Contact the university international office directly using phone/email listed on the official website (do not use contact details provided by the agent). Ask them to confirm the offer ID or application number.
- Ask for an official offer letter PDF with university letterhead, an authorized signature, and an offer/ID number. Verify that the signature and stamp look legitimate and that the offer appears in the university's online applicant portal (if available).
- If the offer includes a scholarship: verify the scholarship on the university's official scholarship page and cross-check with CSC if it's a government scholarship.
- If in doubt, ask for a short live video meeting with the international admissions officer and request they walk through the offer details on camera.
How to Verify Government or Large Scholarships (CSC and Others)
China Scholarship Council (CSC)
Official CSC awards and procedures are public on the CSC site. Genuine CSC-funded awards will be listed via the CSC channels and will require registration/acceptance through official CSC portals. Never pay a private person for a "CSC award."
University Scholarships
Look for the scholarship page on the university website (not just an email). Official scholarships usually have descriptions, selection criteria, and contact details. If you receive an award, ask the university the scholarship's official name and search the site or contact the scholarship office.
Degree Verification and Credential Services
CHSI (China Higher-education Student Information) is the Ministry of Education's official student/degree verification system. Use it to verify credentials and to understand authentication procedures.
How to Verify Chinese Degrees/Credentials
The designated national verification portal is CHSI (学信网). Employers, universities, and credential evaluators use CHSI reports to verify Chinese academic records. If someone claims a degree from a Chinese university, ask for the CHSI verification report or the certificate number and verify on CHSI's site.
If You're Being Extorted or Impersonated by "Police" or "Officials"
- Official bodies will not demand immediate payment via commercial payment apps or threaten to arrest you through chat apps. These are extortion. Document all messages.
- Do NOT transfer funds under threat. Contact local police and your home country's embassy/consulate immediately; consulates provide guidance and sometimes liaise with local authorities.
- If the extortion involves a Chinese authority claim and you're overseas, you can report impersonation to your local law enforcement and ask for embassy support. University international offices often deal with such cases, so inform them as well.
If You Think You've Been Scammed: Immediate Steps
- Do not send more money.
- Preserve all evidence: emails, screenshots, transaction records, chat logs, phone numbers.
- Contact your bank/credit card immediately to try to stop or reverse transactions; ask about fraud chargebacks.
- Report to local police and to your embassy/consulate. Provide all documentation.
- Notify the university (if the scam claims to be from them) so they can flag the fake correspondence.
- Report to the platform used by the scammer (WeChat, WhatsApp, email provider) and ask them to suspend the account.
- Consider filing reports with Internet Crime reporting bodies in your country (e.g., FBI IC3 in the U.S.) and any relevant university support services.
Safe Payment and Agent Practices
- Always pay tuition, deposits, and government fees through official channels listed on the university website. University bank accounts or payment portals are standard.
- If using an agent: check their registration and reviews, ask for references, insist on a written contract, and never pay large fees to a private person without receipts and a clear service scope. Prefer institutions that are members of recognized agent networks or have verifiable partnerships.
- Prefer bank transfers to corporate university accounts, not transfers to personal accounts.
Sample Phrases You Can Send to Verify an Offer (Copy/Paste)
"Please confirm this offer on official university letterhead and provide an offer ID that I can check on the university admissions portal."
"Please provide the scholarship program page URL on the official university site and the scholarship reference number."
"I'll verify this with the international admissions office. Please provide the email address of the staff member who issued this offer."
Useful Official Places to Check (Start Here)
- CHSI (China Higher-education Student Information / 学信网) for degree verification and verification procedures.
- CSC (China Scholarship Council) for official CSC scholarship information and application guidance.
- University international office pages to verify program and contact details directly on the university domain.
- Local law enforcement & embassy websites for reporting scams and getting consular help.
Short Case Examples (Summarized from Reporting)
Money-Laundering "Part-Time Job" Scams
Students recruited to receive funds and transfer them onward; law enforcement warns that these funds often stem from fraud and can implicate students.
Fake Police Impersonation
Students told to pay fines or risk arrest. Global law enforcement and universities have issued alerts to warn student communities to report and not pay.
How FindChinaSchool Can Help
Use FindChinaSchool's university matching tool to identify legitimate programs and then verify offers against the official university pages we link to. If you want, I can draft an email template you can send to an admissions office to verify any suspicious offer. Visit our homepage to start.
Conclusion: Keep Curiosity, Distrust Urgency
Scams thrive on urgency, secrecy, and confusion. Insist on official paperwork, verify on government and university websites, use live calls when possible, and never rush payments to private accounts. When in doubt, pause and verify. It's almost always the right move.