Hong Kong ‘firefighter’ arrested for alleged dine-and-dash date scams
Police say man arrested on suspicion of obtaining property by deception for posing as firefighter to trick women into paying for lavish meals
Hong Kong police have arrested a man who allegedly impersonated a firefighter on dating apps to dupe three women into paying for lavish meals before running off without settling bills totalling HK$3,800 (US$484).
Police said on Thursday that the man, 29, was arrested in Tuen Mun a day earlier on suspicion of obtaining property by deception and had been released on bail pending further investigation.
A woman also wrote on the social media platform Threads that she had met a man who claimed to be a firefighter on a dating app.
In the post, she said the man had invited her to a restaurant in Yuen Long, where he insisted on choosing expensive dishes.
The pair ordered a steak and some seafood that cost more than HK$1,400, with the man also asking for half a dozen oysters, bringing the total bill to HK$1,630.
The woman said the man appeared distressed throughout the dinner and claimed his credit card had been stolen and charged HK$200,000.