Police arrest student over HK$2.7 million scam cases
Bastillepost · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police arrested a 26-year-old mainland Chinese woman in Ngau Tau Kok on August 20 on suspicion of obtaining property by deception and possessing false instruments in connection with four “impersonating officials” scam cases involving about HK$2.7 million.
The Kwai Tsing District Crime Squad said the four cases took place in different parts of Hong Kong between May and August 2026 and involved four local victims: three men aged 29 to 54 and one 45-year-old woman.
Police said the suspect was intercepted after officers identified her through extensive CCTV review under the Sharp Eye scheme and saw her meeting another victim, a 42-year-old man, in Ngau Tau Kok.
Officers recovered HK$800,000 that had just been handed over, and also seized a forged police warrant card bearing the suspect’s photo, a mobile phone and a wireless printer suspected of being used to make false documents.
Key Points
- Senior Inspector Siu Chung-yan of the Kwai Tsing District Crime Squad said police received a report on August 18 from a 29-year-old man.
- The man said scammers posing as mainland law enforcers accused him of money laundering and told him to isolate himself in a hotel.
- He later handed HK$100,000 in savings in Kwai Tsing to a woman claiming to be a mainland enforcement officer, before contact ceased.
- A 42-year-old man separately transferred HK$880,000 online on August 14, then handed over HK$600,000 and HK$800,000 cash on August 20.
- Police said the suspect, who came to Hong Kong last year for tertiary studies, was allegedly recruited online during her studies.
Why It Matters
The case shows how impersonation scams can escalate beyond phone deception into physical cash collection, fake receipts and forged credentials, making losses harder to detect until after money changes hands.
Police also reiterated that neither mainland nor Hong Kong law enforcement agencies will ask the public for cash handovers, transfers or remittances, a warning directly relevant to residents facing similar calls.
Under Hong Kong’s Theft Ordinance, obtaining property by deception is a serious offence punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment upon conviction.