Hong Kong police launch citywide search for man who duped mainland businessman out of HK$5.6 million using double-door safe
- Victim, a merchant from Shenzhen, kept money he was carrying to buy gold bar in a safe, not knowing it had another door fixed to a wall that separated two rooms
- Police suspect the accused, middle aged and thinly built, unlocked the safe from the other room in Hung Hom office and fled with the money
Hong Kong police on Friday launched a citywide search for a con man who used a safe equipped with two doors to dupe a mainland businessman out of HK$5.6 million (US$714,000).
The case came to light around 7.30pm on Thursday as police received a report of deception from the 37-year-old mainland native.
The merchant, who arrived from Shenzhen several days ago, took the money to the office of a jewellery company in Hunghom Commercial Centre on Ma Tau Wai Road, Hung Hom, soon after 4pm on Thursday to buy gold bars.
He reportedly also had two similar transactions with the company in August, involving more than HK$5 million in total.
Police said the merchant was taken to one of the rooms in the Hung Hom office where a middle-aged man sought to “help” him to handle the transaction.
“The victim was asked to hand over the money which was placed into a safe and locked,” an officer said.