Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou announced an online investment scam case yesterday, in which the victim reported a loss of 881,000 patacas in a virtual currency investment platform.
The victim, who requested the authorities not to disclose his or her identity and gender, told the police that he or she got to know a male netizen on a mobile investment platform in late June, adding that due to his “unique” views on investment and his “great concern” for the victim in their communication process, both later became virtual friends and kept in contact via the mobile investment platform, Lei said during a regular press conference. He added that after being persuaded by the “friend”, the victim, according to his instructions, bought virtual currency worth more than 300,000 patacas and deposited the money into a virtual currency investment platform.
According to Lei, the victim, under the guidance of the “friend”, “earned” more than 10,000 patacas within two months, after which he or she trusted the “friend’s” investment capability and transferred more than 400,000 patacas to the investment platform between August and September.
The victim did not report the case to the police until he or she was unable to withdraw any money from the platform, even though he or she had transferred 100,000 patacas to the platform for purported “handling fees” and “income taxes” as required by the platform’s “customer service”, Lei said.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference at the PJ headquarters in Zape. – Photo: Yuki Lei
