The Judiciary Police (PJ) have busted an online fraud gang for placing order scams and committing cryptocurrency investment fraud, PJ spokesman Leng Kam Long said during a special press conference on Tuesday.
The three suspects are surnamed Cheang, a 22-year-old receptionist and the alleged mastermind of the gang; Wong, a 19-year-old night-school student; and Lo, a 32-year-old IT technician. Leng noted that at least 25 residents fell victim to the scams, resulting in losses totalling HK$1.96 million.
According to Leng, starting in October last year, 25 residents reported falling victim to part-time placing order scams or cryptocurrency investment fraud. In the placing order scams, victims were instructed to place an order for a certain item on a website which required an advance payment each time and promised a certain “commission” per order in return. After depositing the money in the designated bank accounts, the victims were unable to withdraw their investments and reported the case to the police.
For the investment scams, the fraudsters befriended the victims through social media and persuaded the victims to invest in cryptocurrencies. After several investments, the victims were refused withdrawal of their money and lost contact with the scammers.
The police identified the suspects and arrested them in their respective flats in Praça de Ponte e Horta, Areia Preta and Zape on Monday. Under questioning, Cheang refused to cooperate, while Wong and Lo admitted to providing the gang with five and two bank accounts, respectively, for amounts ranging from HK$3,000 to HK$5,000 per account.
The police suspect that the gang used a total of 17 bank accounts for receiving and transferring the proceeds from the scams. Additionally, they suspect Cheang’s involvement in two concert ticket fraud cases.
The three suspects were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Tuesday, facing fraud-related charges.
The three suspects are being escorted to a Judiciary Police (PJ) vehicle at the PJ headquarters on Tuesday. – Photo courtesy of TDM
