China Mobile Hong Kong issues warning as fraudsters cheat customers of HK$800,000 by posing as staff
Victims received pre-recorded calls stating that their phone usage had become abnormal and services would be suspended
China Mobile Hong Kong, one of the city’s largest mobile network operators, has issued an urgent anti-fraud warning to its customers in wake of a new scam by con artists posing as the company’s employees.
Fraudsters pretending to be China Mobile staff duped nine people out of more than HK$800,000 (US$102,500) between November 21 and 27. The victims comprised seven mainland students in Hong Kong and two newcomers.
Pre-recorded voice calls were made to members of the public, who were told the callers were from China Mobile Hong Kong.
“Recipients were advised that their phone usage had become abnormal, and their mobile phone services would be ceased. They were instructed to press a button to make an inquiry,” a police source said. The calls were then transferred to scammers who posed as law enforcement officers from the mainland.
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“Victims were told their phone numbers were linked to criminal cases. They were instructed to transfer money to mainland bank accounts as a surety during the investigation,” the source said.
The scam prompted China Mobile Hong Kong to post an urgent reminder on its website.