University of Illinois student scammed out of $90,000

money
Photo credit Getty Images

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Another international student at the University of Illinois has been scammed out of a significant amount of money.

The latest student to fall victim is from China and University Police say the scammer or scammers got $90,000.

The student received repeated calls in last month from someone claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy.

The student was told their passport was tied to international crime and they were threatened with deportation.

Each of the ten cases that have occurred in recent months have been similar, according to CBS 3 in Champaign.

Someone claiming to be with the Chinese government demands payment to resolve an issue. The scammers seem to be targeting students from wealthy families and they know some personal information about the victims.

In a case that occurred in October, police say a student paid $316,000 dollars. Another paid $89,000.

The University said international students are targeted because of a lack of understanding about how things work in the U.S. It keeps happening, despite efforts to educate those students.

Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!
Sign up and follow WBBM Newsradio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Featured Image Photo Credit: Getty Images