Tsinghua Graduate at UCL in London Missing After Suspected Telecom Scam: 'Immigration Investigation' Demanded £70,000 Proof of Funds, Over ¥400,000 Transferred
A Chinese student surnamed Shi, who graduated from Tsinghua University's Department of Chemistry in 2026 and began a master's program at University College London (UCL) this September, is believed to have fallen victim to a telecom scam in London and has been out of contact with his family since November 1. According to his family, he left for the UK on September 18 to study chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences at UCL and had been in Britain for just over a month. The family has reported the case to police in both the UK and China.
The family said that on October 20, he told them he had been selected for an "immigration investigation" and was required to deposit no less than £70,000 into his bank account as proof of funds for the UK immigration authorities. The family noticed nothing unusual at the time.
From October 25, according to the family, he began transferring money to unfamiliar accounts, sending more than 400,000 yuan in total, while sounding normal in his exchanges with the family. On October 31, he joined a video call with his family and ate birthday cake with them, mentioning nothing out of the ordinary.
At 5:30 p.m. Beijing time on November 1, police officers in China visited the family and told them he was suspected of having been targeted by a telecom scam. The family said that after the officers' visit, he had a video call of about five minutes with the family, then ended the call and could not be reached afterwards. The family also said that when they logged into his email account that evening, the messages in his inbox were all deleted within minutes, and that he had twice tried to buy plane tickets — including one flight to Cambodia — but both attempts failed due to spending limits. The family told media he had sent them an email saying he had been scammed and wanted to be alone for a while. The family said they still have not been able to reach him. China.com reported that the Chinese embassy and consulates in the UK are providing consular assistance to the family.
In its safety guidance for newly arriving students in the UK, the Chinese Embassy in the UK has warned that fraudsters commonly impersonate Chinese police and judicial authorities, Chinese embassies and consulates, or UK official bodies, claiming the victim is implicated in "money laundering" or must "cooperate with an investigation," then exert psychological control, demand transfers or so-called "security deposits," and instruct victims to cut contact with family and friends on grounds of "case confidentiality." The embassy reminds students that any caller who asks for personal information or demands a transfer is committing telecom fraud: hang up immediately and verify through official channels. UK immigration authorities, police and embassies do not handle cases by phone, never ask for money to be moved into a "safe account," and never require a person to keep the matter secret from family.
The embassy also advises that anyone who has been scammed should report it to UK police at once (999 in an emergency, 101 for non-emergencies, or via Action Fraud), report it to police in China, and contact their bank promptly to request a payment stop or account freeze. Families are advised to agree on emergency contact arrangements in advance and to verify through multiple channels before acting whenever a student suddenly requests a large transfer or asks for secrecy.
(Source: Red Star News, China.com, Chinese Embassy in the UK)
Source: Red Star News, China.com
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 伦敦大学学院（UCL）主楼Wilkins Building。David Iliff摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Wilkins Building, University College London. By David Iliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
