Hong Kong doctor, lawyer among 665 victims scammed out of HK$780 million by syndicates
- Police arrest 175 people in crackdown on fraud and money-laundering syndicates, with most suspected of holding stooge bank accounts
Some “well-educated professionals” are among 665 Hong Kong residents who lost HK$780 million (US$99.9 million) in different types of deception cases uncovered in a recent police crackdown on fraud and money-laundering syndicates.
Senior Inspector Chu Yuen-tim of the Hong Kong Island regional technology and financial crime unit said on Wednesday that police had arrested 175 suspects in connection with the cases.
Chu said the 16-day operation, code-named “Enterhaze”, ended on Tuesday and mainly targeted stooge account holders who allegedly helped fraud syndicates collect and launder money generated from online scams and telephone deception.
The suspects included a 41-year-old restaurant kitchen worker who was accused of selling his 14 bank accounts to a fraud syndicate over a short period.
Stooge account holders are those who loan or sell their bank accounts to syndicates to collect scammed money and launder crime proceeds in exchange for thousands of Hong Kong dollars, according to the senior inspector.
Chu said investigations revealed that criminals lured residents into loaning or selling their accounts through different online platforms.