A local female clerk had been cheated out of the equivalent of 3,707,469 patacas in an online gambling investment scam last year, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said at a press conference yesterday.
According to Leng, a local woman in her twenties went to a police station on Friday and reported that she had been defrauded out of more than HK$3 million last year in an online gambling investment scam. The victim told the police that she met a Putonghua-speaking male netizen on a social media app last October. The netizen later introduced a gambling website to the victim and told her that he knew how to win and urged her to invest. The victim then downloaded the app on her smartphone and registered an account and subsequently remitted HK$3,000 into the account. The victim told the police that she was told by the app in January that its system would be updated and that it would continue to operate under a new name.
Leng said that until March, the victim had deposited over HK$2 million into the account which showed earnings of more than HK$3 million. The victim later wanted to withdraw cash from the account but the app’s “customer service” informed her that she needed to pay an “exchange rate fee” first and a “security deposit”.
The victim then remitted over HK$1 million into several bank accounts in Hong Kong. However, she discovered last week that the app suddenly shut down so that she was unable to log onto her account. The victim finally realised that she had been defrauded and reported to the police on Friday a total loss equivalent of 3,707,469 patacas.
The Judiciary Police are continuing their investigation into the case and no one had been arrested at the time of the press conference, according to Leng.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon poses during a press conference at the Public Security Police (PSP) press room yesterday. Photo: Camy Tam
