Hong Kong online fraudsters arrested in Shenzhen

Two Hongkongers behind an online shopping scam that cheated more than 120 people over the past 17 months were arrested by mainland police in Shenzhen on Tuesday.

The two men, aged 24 and 38, were tracked down and picked up by Shenzhen police after Hong Kong police sought help finding the suspects from mainland authorities several months ago, according to police.

Acting chief inspector Leung Man-ying of the New Territories North regional crime unit said it was the first time for this kind of cross-border joint operation in the fight against internet shopping fraud since the force set up a unit in November 2010 to tackle such illegal activities.

The police investigation found that the two suspects were the masterminds behind a syndicate that lured consumers into buying smartphones and trendy clothes via their online shopping platform, Leung said.

Consumers were attracted to the platform by cheap prices. Once there, they were told to deposit payment for goods they wished to order into a designated account controlled by scammers. But the purchased goods never arrived and attempts by buyers to contact the sellers proved fruitless.

Police believe the syndicate had been in operation since the beginning of last year.

“Intelligence indicated the two men, in an attempt to avoid dectection, moved to the mainland late last year to carry out the transactions on the internet,” Leung said.