Hong Kong police arrest 100 suspects over cyber fraud, with 1 love scam raking in HK$23 million after victim in Canada falls for ‘sweet talk’
- Week-long operation leads force to 63 cases of deception and money laundering, worth total of HK$81 million
- Chinese man, 60, in Canada lost most of all victims after falling prey to online love scam
The force on Wednesday said its week-long operation had led to the arrest of 71 men and 29 women aged from 17 to 74. The suspects came from all walks of life and included clerks, sales staff, retirees and the unemployed.
They were suspected of obtaining property by deception and money laundering in 63 cases worth a total of HK$81 million, with losses in each case ranging from HK$550 to HK$23 million.
A 60-year-old Chinese man in Canada lost the most after being swindled by a fraudster in a love scam carried out on social media, police said. The force arrested a 47-year-old man in Hong Kong in connection with the case as his bank account was used to collect HK$2 million of the HK$23 million taken from the victim.
“The scammer used sweet talk to deceive the victim into making investments. The victim made multiple transfers,” said Chief Inspector Shun Po-chun of the Wan Chai district.
Many of the 100 suspects allowed fraud syndicates to access their bank accounts to collect and handle the stolen money, Shun said. She also urged residents not to lend their personal or company accounts to others.
One of those arrested was a suspected female fraudster, 39, who was believed to have stolen four credit cards from three victims and purchased goods worth a total of HK$210,000.
