Hong Kong woman loses HK$69m to scammers posing as mainland Chinese officials
Victim, 43, made multiple transfers after receiving calls from fraudsters claiming to be officials accusing her of committing a crime
A Hong Kong woman has been conned out of nearly HK$69 million (US$8.8 million) in a month-long scam involving fraudsters posing as mainland Chinese officials, with an IT expert saying the case showed how fear and secrecy caused victims to miss obvious red flags.
Police said on Friday that the 43-year-old woman received calls from people claiming to be mainland law enforcement officers, who accused her of committing a crime and demanded money to prove her innocence.
The victim transferred about HK$68.9 million to designated bank accounts in multiple transactions between July 2 and August 1.
She contacted police on Wednesday after becoming suspicious.
A source said the victim received calls from the scammers in June and transferred the funds into 10 local bank accounts across 81 transactions.
The victim only realised it was a scam and reported the matter to police after telling family members, the source added.
The Western district crime squad is investigating the case. No arrests have been made.