The female owner of a vegetarian restaurant was defrauded out of 125,000 yuan (140,000 patacas) by a duo consisting of a “school staff” and a “food supplier”, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam said at a regular press conference yesterday.
According to Ho, the restaurant’s chef told the owner on Monday that earlier that day he or she received a call from a “school staff”, who requested meals for the National Day holidays, as well as 50 boxes of individual packs of vegetarian food priced at 3,000 yuan each. The “staff” claimed that the packaged food was to be shared with teachers and other school staff, but their “principal” had had a quarrel with the “food supplier” and the “school” couldn’t order the food directly, adding that the owner of the restaurant could profit by acting as an intermediary.
Ho said that the owner agreed, but demanded the “staff” pay in advance for the food. The “staff” then sent a deposit slip through WeChat for 290,000 yuan purportedly paid into the owner’s bank account, after which, without checking her bank account, she proceeded to pay the “food supplier” a “discounted price” of 125,000 yuan.
Ho said that after the owner informed the “staff” about the payment, the “staff” requested another 100 boxes of food. Attracted by the order, the victim proceeded to borrow money from her family members but was reminded about the risk of scam tactics. After discovering that the money was never deposited, she tried to reach the scammers but lost contact with them.
The owner reported the incident to the police on Tuesday and said that she had lost 125,000 yuan in the scam.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam looks on during yesterday’s press conference at the PJ headquarters. – Photo: William Chan
