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Posts: 100

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Q: Am I at risk for identity theft.

A Chinese woman came to my door today wearing a police jacket, badge, jeans, pink Nikes, and a hoodie underneath the police jacket. She asked me for my Passport. She took it and wrote down my information. I was extremely suspicious because this is the first time this has ever happened to me while living in a foreign country. She did not check my visa page but instead went directly to my information page and wrote down all of my information. She then asked me for my phone number. The only English words she knew were passport and police but when I asked her why, she acted as if she could not understand me. I am paranoid now. What what should I do? I really want to call the police but I for sure will be contacting the US Embassy. Is this normal?

6 years 22 weeks ago in  Visa & Legalities - China

 
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Shifu

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which identity are you worried people will steal?

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6 years 21 weeks ago
 
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Posts: 4495

Emperor

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Normal for a Hollywood Movie.  Pink Nikes and hoodie sure tip off to she's Lesbo,,, can't u tell when u are getting hit on?  Was she of the Hotness Delegation?  Should have invited her in and explained that you had left your passport in the bedroom.  and u should always have left out on the bedside table a vibrator and some lube to steer the convo.  You coulda got some Tami!  A good topic of conversation could have been something like you feel discouraged being Melanated in the China Land and did she ever feel that way being of the Yellow Melanation?  Well, one thing coulda led to another,,,  haha,, was she carrying cuffs?? 

Tami.X:

I would never feel discouraged being around Chinese people. WTF! I pass out every time I get onto the Subway and I turn my head every time they approach me to talk. I am sitting in Starbucks as I am typing this response and the Chinese woman next to me just blew her nose with a piece of tissue and immediately went to wiping the table with it. I would never let this group of people make me feel inferior. They neither have physical nor personality traits that I desire. I would jump off the highest building in China if I woke up one morning and realized that I was no longer melanated.

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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Go to PSB and ask them about it. How could we know what was all about it?

Tami.X:

I called the Police which was pointless. They told me that it was unusual and that I should take a picture of the person's ID card next time and tell them to wait until the police confirms who they after I call 110. They came and wrote up a report so I guess if something happens at least I can prove that I made a report.

6 years 21 weeks ago
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iWolf:

Hang on....in the reply you made to my comment you said you can't understand Chinese. Exactly how did you report this by phone? It must be the only cop shop in china where they speak English. And why would they come to make a report about one of their officers doing a routine job. You gotta keep your story straight girl.

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Emperor

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A lone person in a questionable police uniform comes to your door and you don't ask to see their credentials then you give them your passport......hmmmm

Tami.X:

I saw her security ID card but how in the hell would I know an authenticate one from a fake one? I can neither read nor speak Chinese.

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 724

Shifu

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Thanks for sharing your experience Tami.

 

It's time for me to purchase a police jacket and have some new fun.

earthizen:

haha......you do know how to scare people  

6 years 22 weeks ago
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SpongeBob:

In the immortal words of Mae West, “Those who are easily shocked should be shocked more often.”

6 years 22 weeks ago
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earthizen:

haha, Mae West's version of shock therapy.  'Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.'   Charles Bukowski   

 

The kind of craziness Bukowski talks about though, I believe, refers to thinking out of the box and not the zombies' kind. Big difference.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 2231

Shifu

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It is normal. The local district office (街道辦) once in a while collects data much like a mini survey. There may be other purposes since this is prc.  Every household's door is knocked. 

 

If you want to be certain find out where their office is and go ask them. It is easy as virtually every local living in the neighborhood knows where it is. Show them the three characters above and they should know.

iWolf:

I actually had a visit about 2 weeks ago. There were 4 officers. While 2 talked to me and checked my passport, visa and registration, the other 2 checked out my apartment with a video camera in hand. Photos were taken of my documents. They also went to the other apartments on my floor. It was no big deal and the leader liked my open kitchen.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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diverdude1:

yeah, I've had PSB visit unannounced also.  No big deal.  Like you said it seems they go to every apartment, or surely most every.  Only thing that would be odd about the Tami account, yes I realize it is fiction, is the officer being alone.  I doubt they would ever do that. Maybe in some yunnan/sichuan village or something, but not a real city over here on the developed side.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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iWolf:

I don't know about the officers that visited you but the people who came to my place were very polite and very professional. And their matching uniforms were complete and this is a 2/3 tier city.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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diverdude1:

yeah, same here, very professional.  I just handed them my passport, they made a few notes and left.  whole thing took maybe 5 minutes,,, or less.  They didn't do that videotaping/photography thing though.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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Spiderboenz:

I understand checking passport/paperwork, but inspecting your home with a camera?  

 

Yeah...  No. 

6 years 22 weeks ago
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iWolf:

I talked to the old aunty next door and she mentioned the camera too. I have nothing to hide and in the light of the current political situation it may not be a bad thing that the local boys know i have nothing to hide.

6 years 22 weeks ago
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earthizen:

I too find the bit about going inside your house odd, they don't do that as far as I know.  Most of time only one shows up too, not four.

 

It looks like it is a busy-body gossiping kind of mentality which is prevalent among dirt poor dalurens (beggars, thieves mentality -- 'never been in a palace before, here is my chance to rob a glimpse), and also obessed with war (spying on what you have). I had that tried on me by a local scum once. Do you live in a fairly high end premise? 

6 years 22 weeks ago
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Tami.X:

I called the police 30 minutes later and they acted as if it was unusual. They came and wrote up a report. I was trying to ask other foreigners before I called the police but my paranoia was too overwhelming. 

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 310

Governor

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A passport for identity theft. How little this user-account knows of the land it claims to be from. The passport has next to no info for identity thieves. Go get your hand read again....

Tami.X:

Are you stupid? There is a lot that a fraudster can do with PII on your passport. Are you dumb? Knowing your address, phone number, name, DOB, citizenship, age, etc they can do a lot. There are some people here working on fake passports. 

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
Posts: 5156

Emperor

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How can they steal your identity just from your passport number, you've proven yourself to be bogus, give up.

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6 years 22 weeks ago
 
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Yup. Its normal.

Do you now have a little round plastic disk on your doorframe?

They tried that a few years back where I live. Was a short lived experiment I think.

There is nothing to worry about. It is local population control officials. My sister in law is one. She inherited the job from my MIL. But she is office based, not uniformed.

They want to catch the tax dodgers. That is, the people renting apartments but not paying tax on rental incomes. They also want to make sure you are not harboring an illegal pregnant woman who does not have a make a baby book.

The officials who knock at your door have no idea of who you are, no interest in what you do. They are on a tick the box job.

Another thing to add. They want to know where you are in case you fall under a bus.

They dont want an internationial Trump twitter storm caused by some dude doing moped stunts that results in death.

Relax. Passport visits are good.

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6 years 21 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1263

Shifu

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It is certainly not normal for this city! I have been in and out of Shijiazhuang for nine years now and not once have I ever had this done to me. No visits, no cameras, no nothing. Are you lot doing something you shouldn't be?

Englteachted:

Usually bigger cities, and during special events in some other cities like Hangzhou . It is very common for people with certain passports like African countries (checkout Serpentza youtube video about being African in China, funny stuff). 

6 years 21 weeks ago
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Hotwater:

It’s normal in Guangzhou & they’re not just checking foreigners. My visits now are about once every 6 months. 3 or 4 people (1-2 street centre, maybe 1 police). They have a big registration book & check that it’s me still listed in my place and have a cursory look at my passport. They never ask to come inside and are normally there for 5 minutes. Always pleasant & no issues. 

6 years 21 weeks ago
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6 years 21 weeks ago
 
Posts: 1072

Shifu

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which identity are you worried people will steal?

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6 years 21 weeks ago
 
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