‘Singapore businessman’ cheats Hong Kong woman out of HK$2.6 million in romance scam
Police say case involving 52-year-old woman is among more than 40 online love scams recorded in past two weeks, with losses totalling HK$17 million
Hong Kong police have recorded more than 40 cases of online romance scams in the past two weeks, including one of a 52-year-old woman who lost over HK$2.6 million (US$334,500) to a swindler posing as a “Singaporean businessman”.
The force on Friday said the cases involved losses totalling over HK$17 million.
It added that more than 40 per cent of the victims were aged over 50.
In a post on its CyberDefender Facebook page, the force said the 52-year-old woman met a man claiming to be a businessman from Singapore on WhatsApp.
After chatting briefly through the app, they developed what the woman believed to be an intimate relationship.
The scammer soon lured her into investing in a purported hotel project, promising high returns.