Perils of studying abroad(3)  

出国留学“看上去很美” 融而不入困扰中国留学生

中国教育部统计数据显示，2012年，中国出国留学人数较2011年增加5.99万，增长17.65%。根据中国教育部公开资料显示，目前中国在外留学生人数为127万，位居世界第一。业内预计，2013年中国留学人数有望突破49万人。

Safety a big concern

With the number of Chinese students overseas soaring, security has received more attention.

Besides personal safety, students should be on alert for property safety, such as QQ fraud, phone fraud, and mail fraud, experts warned.

Many swindlers eye overseas students for two reasons: most of them are from rich families, and limited by geography and means of communication, their relatives can easily be taken in.

Experts warn that students should learn to protect their personal information. When chatting online, they should not tell strangers their age, family address or other personal data. They should also avoid specifying "Daddy" or "Mommy" on their contact lists on QQ or mobile phone.

Furthermore, they should modify their QQ passwords and maintain anti-virus check regularly. Also, when parents receive messages about urgent need of money, they should ask questions and use familiar language to make a judgment.

Both parents and students should be rational, experts warned. 

Younger students should go through psychological training and be prepared for various difficulties before going aboard, a US educator said.