Hong Kong reports 286 Fun Coffee scam cases
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police said on August 20 that reports tied to the “Fun Coffee GCM” investment scheme had risen to 286 as of August 19, with total losses of about HK$118 million. The case centres on a cryptocurrency-based investment platform that allegedly lured participants with claims of high returns before the “Fun Coffee” mobile app stopped operating and withdrawals failed
Key Points
- Police said the number of reports increased by 17 from the previous update, reaching 286 cases with combined losses of about HK$118 million as of August 19
- Investigators said reports began arriving in July, with victims saying they joined the “Fun Coffee GCM” scheme from July 2025 through cryptocurrency-funded investment plans
- The company allegedly claimed its project involved multifunction coffee equipment and coffee gene research, while promising higher returns for larger and longer-held deposits
- Police said investors were recruited through briefings, social gatherings and promotions, then told to download the “Fun Coffee” app and transfer Tether to designated crypto wallet addresses
- The platform offered “Launch”, “Growth” and “Voyage” tiers, with claimed annual returns of about 197% to 278%, plus deposit bonuses, referral rewards and daily check-in incentives
- Police said one example involved the “Growth” plan, under which an investor placing about 10,800 USDT, or roughly HK$84,000, was promised about 680 USDT in profit after 10 days, implying an annual return of 230%. Investigators said some early participants were able to withdraw small returns, which lowered suspicion and encouraged them to invest more, even though many did not fully understand the company background, operating model or risks
- According to police, the “Fun Coffee” app suddenly stopped operating on July 20, 2026, after which investors could no longer withdraw principal or claimed returns and customer service stopped responding. Police said the largest single reported loss was HK$9.63 million and involved a 51-year-old victim. Asked about entertainers who had hosted company events, police said investigators would contact victims and relevant people to determine who masterminded the alleged fraud and what roles others may have played
- Macau’s Judiciary Police have also taken action in the related case, arresting two women on suspicion of aggravated fraud. Macau authorities said they had received nine related reports involving losses of about MOP3.6 million
Why It Matters
The case shows how alleged fraudsters can combine cryptocurrency transfers, social-network referrals and small early payouts to build trust before access to funds is cut off. For Hong Kong readers, the latest police update suggests the scale of losses is still expanding and that the investigation may widen to include promoters and others linked to the scheme