Commercial crime detectives say e-mail scams promising victims millions of dollars via bogus bank transfers, which normally operate out of Africa, are being copied by Hong Kong con artists.
The revelation comes after Hong Kong officers arrested a Nigerian man who was allegedly trying to swindle cash from victims by requesting their help in transferring US$26 million out of a local bank account in return for a hefty commission.
The scam is known internationally as the '419 fraud' after the relevant section of the Nigerian criminal code. The con artists have been around since the 1980s and usually purport to be African bank officials who have stumbled on wealth left by deceased warlords.
Gullible victims would be asked to pay large sums in advance fees to free up the money and to give personal details, only to discover that they were duped.
'I know of cases that when people received the e-mails, they have been told they have to pay money into an account in Hong Kong,' Commercial Crime Bureau detective senior inspector Tobi Lothian said.
'There are definitely some crooks in Hong Kong who are doing it. Whether they are from West Africa themselves or a local doing it, I can't say.'
But since some e-mails now claim to be from Chinese bankers, it would be difficult for expatriate con artists to pull off such scams.
