In one interviewee’s account, a student named Anna was contacted by someone using the name Charles Chen, who claimed to also be a Stanford student. What began as casual conversation quickly turned into persistent requests for Anna to visit China.
“He sent videos of Americans who had gained fame in China, encouraged Anna to visit Beijing, and offered to cover her travel expenses,” the Review writes. “He would send screenshots of a bank account balance to prove he could buy the plane tickets. Alarmingly, he referenced details about her that Anna had never disclosed to him.”
After Chen asked Anna to delete screenshots of their conversations, Anna contacted authorities who determined that Chen had no affiliation with the university.