Mainland student arrested in fake officer scam case
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police in Kwai Tsing arrested a 26-year-old mainland Chinese woman studying at a tertiary institution in Hong Kong after tracing her to an alleged collection attempt in Ngau Tau Kok on August 20. Investigators say she posed as a mainland law-enforcement officer in a phone scam operation linked to at least four victims and more than HK$2.6 million in losses or attempted losses between May and August.
Key Points
- A 29-year-old man reported on August 18 that scammers accused him of involvement in a mainland money-laundering case and took HK$100,000 as a so-called bail deposit in Kwai Tsing.
- The victim said he was told to report his movements daily by phone and stay alone in a hotel to cut off contact with other people
- After reviewing extensive CCTV footage, including the Sharp Eye surveillance system, officers found the suspect in Ngau Tau Kok while she was meeting a 42-year-old male victim on August 20.
- Police said the 42-year-old had already lost HK$880,000 in savings and HK$600,000 borrowed from a finance company, and was preparing to hand over another HK$800,000 borrowed from a bank.
- Officers seized a forged police warrant card bearing the suspect's photo, a mobile phone, a wireless printer suspected of making false documents, and recovered the HK$800,000 before it was lost.
- Investigators said the woman also allegedly links to two similar cases from May to August involving victims aged 45 and 54, who lost more than HK$300,000 in total.
- The 42-year-old victim also gave police two fake receipts purportedly issued by a mainland court for the so-called deposit payment
Why It Matters
The case shows how fake-official scams can combine psychological control, isolation and repeated demands for cash, loans and transfers, increasing losses quickly once a victim complies. Police said the suspect remains in custody on suspicion of obtaining property by deception and possessing false instruments, and officers are examining whether she is tied to other cases or whether more arrests will follow.