Female ‘brokers’ arrested for ‘sweet-talking’ Hong Kong victims out of HK$19 million in gold trading scams
Police raid offices of two investment companies in Wan Chai and North Point, rounding up 26 suspects
Hong Kong police arrested 26 people on Wednesday in connection with gold investment scams in which at least 33 people were duped out of a total of HK$19 million (US$2.4 million).
Personnel from the force’s Commercial Crime Bureau raided the offices of two investment companies in Wan Chai and North Point as well as a number of residential units across the city.
At about 5.30pm, close to 20 suspects were taken away from the Gloucester Road office in Wan Chai. Police said they also seized boxes of documents.
One police source said some victims were approached by attractive female “brokers” who sweet-talked them into paying to trade gold on the London market.
As of Wednesday, all the suspects – 17 men and nine women aged 18 to 53 – were being held for questioning. None of them had been charged.
Police said the investigation was ongoing, and it was possible that further arrests would be made.
