Hong Kong student arrested over HK$3m scam deceived by same swindlers
Hong Kong police have arrested a 19-year-old university student accused of swindling more than HK$3 million from a man after apparently being hoodwinked by scammers herself. Inspector Wu Kwan-yu of Tseung Kwan O police district’s intelligence section said on Wednesday that officers arrested the female student the previous day on suspicion of impersonating mainland Chinese public security…
A 19-year-old Hong Kong university student has been arrested for allegedly swindling over HK$3 million from a local man, authorities reported. Inspector Wu Kwan-yu of Tseung Kwan O police district's intelligence section stated that the female suspect was arrested the day prior on suspicion of impersonating mainland Chinese public security officials to defraud the victim.
Police emphasized the importance of youth vigilance against scams, urging them to avoid being exploited by criminals seeking to take advantage of their greed or misplaced trust.
The student reportedly received calls from scammers who accused her of involvement in money-laundering operations on the mainland. They demanded she follow their instructions to prove her innocence. The source revealed that she later received further instructions to visit a hotel in Tseung Kwan O to deliver a non-disclosure agreement to the victim. It remains unclear whether the student profited or lost money during her interactions with other scammers; the investigation is ongoing.
Police were alerted to the case after a 24-year-old man reported receiving a phone call from someone claiming to be a "telecoms company employee." The caller informed him that a mobile phone number linked to his identity was involved in a money-laundering case on the mainland. The line was then connected to a scammer posing as a mainland public security official, who instructed the man to follow his directions to prove his innocence without revealing his whereabouts.
The scammer promised an "agent" would meet the man later. He subsequently booked a hotel in Tseung Kwan O and encountered the student, who claimed to be an investigative agent.
Outside the hotel, the student allegedly produced a fake chop-stamped document allegedly issued by a mainland law enforcement official, a printer suspected of producing fraudulent documents, and the very clothes she wore during her meeting with the victim. She was subsequently arrested in Sheung Wan on Tuesday after authorities reviewed extensive surveillance footage.
At her home, police found the aforementioned documents and clothing. In Hong Kong, obtaining property through deception can result in a maximum 10-year prison sentence. The student remained in police custody as of Wednesday afternoon.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post - Hong Kong's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
