Editorial | Final call needed on cruel Hong Kong phone scams
- As a 90-year-old woman is swindled out of nearly HK$255 million, the time has come for not only better enforcement measures, but also for banks, family and friends to care for the vulnerable
Phone scams have been so widely publicised in Hong Kong that it would seem unthinkable for anyone to still fall for them.
Unfortunately, the gullibility of victims knows no bounds, as reflected in the sorry tale that saw a 90-year-old woman conned out of more than HK$250 million (US$32.2 million) by fraudsters impersonating mainland public security officials.
The city’s biggest yet recorded case is a reminder that there are always those who are less vigilant and more vulnerable, and society suffers as a whole if the problem is not checked.
That the latest episode involved the same old trick says much about human nature. The victim, who lives in a mansion on The Peak, was told her identity was used in a serious criminal case on the mainland and told to transfer money into designated accounts so authorities could verify whether it was the proceeds of crime.
What set it apart is that it happened during the height of the Covid-19 epidemic. From last August to January, she lost HK$254.9 million in 11 transactions.