2 elderly Hongkongers lose HK$48 million in fake official, crypto scams
One victim, 77, made 24 transfers to three bank accounts after scammer accused him of being involved in criminal case across border
Two Hong Kong men in their seventies have been conned out of HK$48 million (US$6.2 million) in scams involving a criminal impersonating an official and the Ethereum cryptocurrency.
Police said on Friday that one victim, 77, claimed to have received a call on June 7 from an individual impersonating a mainland Chinese official, who accused him of being involved in a criminal case across the border and demanded payment to prove his innocence.
“The victim followed the instructions and made 24 separate transfers totalling about HK$21.8 million to three designated local bank accounts between June 10 and August 15,” the force said. “The scammer later became unreachable.”
Police said it was then that the victim suspected he had been scammed and filed a report on Sunday.
According to a preliminary investigation, the case was listed as obtaining property by deception.
The Kowloon City division’s technology and financial crime squad is following up on the case, but no arrests have been made so far.