Hong Kong man arrested after impersonating police officers, scamming victims of HK$4 million
- Force says unemployed man, whom they identified as leader of scam syndicate, arrested over five fraud charges
- He tricked his victims by using fake uniforms and chops, even employing a laminating machine to forge documents
A 25-year-old Hong Kong man has been arrested for allegedly scamming five victims out of more than HK$4 million (US$512,420) by pretending to be local and mainland Chinese police officers, using fake uniforms, forged chops and a laminating machine to convince them he was a member of law enforcement.
Hong Kong police said the unemployed man, whom they identified as the leader of a scam syndicate, was arrested on Thursday over five fraud charges.
New Territories South Chief Inspector of Crime Yu Pok-hon said the man posed as mainland and Hong Kong officials when he called his victims, accusing them of money laundering and other charges.
When he met the victims, he disguised himself as various government officials to convince them to sign bogus non-disclosure agreements bearing the chops of the People’s Police and Hong Kong Monetary Authority.
Yu said the man also showed his victims, which included students, housewives, salesmen and office workers, a fake Hong Kong police warrant card.
“He told them that as the case involved Hong Kong law enforcement officers, their correspondence must be kept confidential or else they would be arrested and have their assets frozen,” he said.
Yu said the man demanded the victims pay him in cash or make online transfers to prove their innocence, promising to return the money after investigations concluded.
He added the scammer’s threats succeeded in preventing the victims from contacting their families, friends and authorities over the crime.
Officers found the police uniforms, including a tie, forged chops with the mainland police logo, printers and a laminating machine, believed to have been used by the man to print forged documents.
Yu reminded the public to stay alert when receiving calls from those claiming to be mainland police.
“Mainland police officers will never directly contact Hong Kong citizens,” he said.
