Young people hoping to get a job were instead victims of an identity theft which saw dud cheques issued in their names.
Nine people aged 18 to 25 who responded to job offers on an internet forum were invited to group interviews in a public place, such as a café or park.
They were asked to provide signatures, bank account information and their identity cards for employment purposes, according to Ip Wai-kin, chief inspector of the police's commercial crime bureau.
Their would-be employers asked the interviewees to wait while they photocopied the ID cards and other information. But they never returned. The conmen then used the stolen identities to open chequebook accounts.
They went on to cheat another eight people who accepted the cheques in payment for goods advertised on the internet - only to find the bank accounts were empty.