A local man was arrested on Tuesday for job scamming 334 mainlanders out of 580,000 patacas in total since 2023, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chao Teng Hin said in a special press conference yesterday.
The suspect surnamed Fong is a 58-year-old construction worker.
According to Chao, a man from the mainland reported to the police last July that Fong had promised to arrange jobs for residents from his hometown but after he paid the purported fees, he lost contact with him. Fong had told the victim that he was in charge of a big construction project and that he could arrange jobs in Macau. The victim believed him and collected 141,360 yuan from 92 people and transferred the money to Fong. The victim then lost contact with Fong after sending him the money.
The police arrested Fong in the city centre on Tuesday. The police searched Fong‘s home in the northern district and found 63 Individual Visit Scheme documents and identification document copies belonging to the victims and 33 health certificates. In the course of the investigation, the police suspected Fong of involvement in four similar offences, involving 242 other victims, together with the 92 victims in this case, totalling 334 victims, who were cheated out of 580,000 patacas.
Chao did not elaborate on the four other suspected cases.
The police confirmed that Fong does not have the right to arrange jobs in Macau. Under questioning, Fong refused to cooperate.
Fong was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a fraud charge, according to Chao.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the suspect from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a PJ vehicle after yesterday’s special press conference. – Photo: Ada Lei
