Man arrested over fake flag-day scam targeting animal charity donations
Hong Kong police have arrested a man in connection with a scam in which at least 14 people were hired to “sell flags” for an animal concern group after they were spotted carrying fake donation bags and mixing with registered volunteers to collect money from passers-by. The rare street scam came to light during the group’s flag day on Saturday, a Social Welfare Department-approved fundraising…
Hong Kong police have arrested a man over a scam involving fake flag-day donations for an animal charity, according to reported sources. At least 14 people were hired to sell flags for the Hong Kong Saving Cat and Dog Association, which organizes the event, known as "flag days." These volunteers typically carry designated donation bags and stickers to collect money from passers-by, and the events are held on Saturdays.
During Saturday's flag day, some imposters were spotted wearing fake bags and carrying fake flag stickers, which were a different shade of blue than the authentic ones. The police learned about the scam when genuine volunteers reported seeing strangers posing as association staff near Langham Place in Mong Kok. Fourteen individuals carrying counterfeit bags were stopped, and investigations revealed they had responded to a WhatsApp job advertisement offering HK$70 an hour for flag-selling work.
They believed they were simply temporary workers, but the organizer never appeared. The fake bags bore a statement claiming the flag day had been approved by the department. The 14 recruits were taken to the Mong Kok Police Station for questioning. On Sunday, police arrested a 22-year-old man for deception. The case has been handed over to the Mong Kok district crime squad for further investigation.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
