About a dozen young women, with dreams of becoming models, have fallen foul of an alleged scam said to have netted more than $300,000.
They were approached by 'star searchers' on the street who praised their figures and said they could model for a fashion company with a big market in Southeast Asia.
They were told it was an opportunity to make money from a part-time job by appearing in clothing photo shoots and promised they might have a bright future.
The women were taken to a fashion company in Causeway Bay where they met staff.
'The staff usually told the victims that they fitted their demands. They wanted them to trim their weight a little bit or improve their complexion,' said Jennifer Chow Kit-bing, a provisional urban councillor who is helping about 12 of the women to chase refunds. They were persuaded to join beauty courses which cost them more than $20,000.
But later they suspected it might be a scam and refunds were refused.
