Fake policemen are extorting Chinese citizens for wearing face masks in France during the coronavirus outbreak, embassy officials say

Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

A woman wears a protective mask in light of the coronavirus outbreak in China as she walks at the Trocadero esplanade in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, February 1, 2020.

• Over the weekend, the Chinese Embassy in France issued a warning to citizens in the country, saying some students have been targeted for wearing surgical masks in public.
• According to the warning, people posing as policemen extorted the students for 150 euros, saying they had broken a French law banning face coverings.
• France does have such a law, but it refers to burqas and balaclavas - not surgical masks.
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Chinese citizens in France have been targeted for wearing surgical masks during the coronavirus outbreak, according to China's embassy in the country.

On March 7, the embassy issued a warning for Chinese nationals to be on guard. It said that some Chinese students had posted on social media about being stopped by fake policemen who fined them 150 euros for violating a French law against wearing masks in public.

France does have such a law, but it refers to burqas and ski masks - not surgical masks. In fact, the government's Ministry of Solidarity and Health recommends that people wear masks if they are feeling sick and are around people.

Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, flanked by French Health and Solidarity Minister Olivier Veran, left, attend a meeting after visiting a center focused on the novel Coronavirus outbreak on March 3.

The embassy went on to say that other Chinese citizens in France have seen people pose as government outbreak officials to get into their homes and rob them.

"The Chinese embassy in France reminds Chinese citizens in France to raise their awareness of security and precautions, and guards against illegal elements who use fraud, robbery, etc. to prevent epidemics by impersonating the police or government officials. In case of emergency, please call the police in time or contact the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in France for assistance," the warning reads.

As of Tuesday, there were more than 1,400 cases of coronavirus in France, according to Johns Hopkins, and 30 deaths.

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