Luk Fook jewellery salesman jailed over scam involving 'borrowed' gold at Hong Kong shops

A former Luk Fook jewellery salesman was jailed for one year for stealing four gold necklaces and attempting to steal another four by sending a man posing as a staff member to “borrow” gold from other branches.

Jailing Chow Lok-hang, 25, at Kowloon City Court yesterday, Deputy Magistrate Lam Tsz-kan Ö said the offences involved “a breach of trust” in an employee.

The magistrate said Chow spotted the loophole in the jewellery shops’ procedures and made a plan to steal the items.

Chow had earlier admitted four counts of attempting to obtain property by deception.

The prosecution told the court yesterday that Chow stole four gold necklaces, worth about HK$160,000 in total, and failed in attempts to steal another four, valued at HK$100,000.

Previously, the court heard that on Christmas Day last year, a member of staff at Luk Fook’s Park Lane branch in Tsim Sha Tsui received a call during which Chow said someone from the firm’s store in Nathan Road would come over to borrow gold.