Pay first, sex later? Elderly Hong Kong man among 90 victims who lost HK$4 million in two weeks in ‘compensated dating’ scams
- Upwards trend in ‘prepaid sex’ scams, with 2,100 reports involving HK$110 million last year, Post learns
- Men seeking sex are targeted by ‘attractive young women’ who take money and vanish before meeting
More than 90 Hong Kong men, the oldest aged 70, lost more than HK$4 million (US$511,500) in just two weeks after being tricked into paying in advance for sex in “compensated dating” scams.
Police last year handled about 2,100 reports of such incidents that involved total losses of HK$110 million, the highest in six years, the Post has learned.
The scam targets victims willing to pay for companionship, often including sex.
The cases in the first two weeks of 2024 prompted police to post an alert on the CyberDefender Facebook page earlier this week. It warned those seeking sex: “Advance payment for compensated dating? Don’t be too naive.”
Police advised the public to beware and stressed that “any situation that requires you to purchase point cards for online games or gift cards before engaging in compensated dating is a scam”.