‘Online lover’ swindles Hong Kong investment manager out of HK$12.8 million inheritance in 1 month through bogus cryptocurrency trading
- Swindler, claiming to be female cryptocurrency investment expert, developed relationship with victim through internet, police say
- Source says victim lost HK$12.8 million recently inherited from late father; he transferred money into 16 designated bank accounts
A 63-year-old investment manager in Hong Kong lost more than HK$12 million (US$1.5 million) he inherited from his late father in a month after falling victim to an online romance scam, it was revealed on Thursday.
The swindler, claiming to be a female cryptocurrency investment expert, developed a relationship with the man through the internet and then induced him into setting up an account on a bogus trading website to invest in digital money, according to police.
A source familiar with the case said the victim lost a total of HK$12.8 million left to him by his late father and that he had received the sum recently.
The man, who lives in Hong Kong Island’s Eastern district, fell victim to the scam after the fraudster befriended him on Facebook on December 14. The pair then contacted each other through WhatsApp.
“After establishing a relationship with the victim, the ‘online lover’ lured him into investing in cryptocurrency through a trading website controlled by swindlers,” the source said.
Between December 30 last year and January 30, the investment manager transferred HK$12.8 million into 16 designated bank accounts in Hong Kong as instructed.
He realised he had been conned when his attempts to get his money back failed. He then called police on Sunday.