Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou said at a press conference yesterday that the police received separate reports on Monday and Tuesday from 22 local female residents saying that they were scammed in “light meal” ordering scams
The victims comprise five under the age of 30 and 17 middle-aged women. They were collectively scammed out of amounts ranging from 570 to 2,600 patacas, totalling 16,140 patacas.
According to Lei, in one of the cases, a victim saw an advertisement on social media selling “light meals” promising to be low in fat. On Sunday, she contacted the purported customer service, ordered 20 meals, and made an online transfer of 680 patacas. However, the shop did not deliver the promised meals at the agreed-upon time, and she lost contact with them.
In a statement on Tuesday, the PJ warned the public of engaging in transactions with unknown online “shops” and advised against making upfront payments before delivery from such “shops”. The statement also urged individuals who suspect a scam or other crimes to immediately contact the PJ Anti-scam hotline on 8800 7777 or the crime report hotline at 993.
This poster provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) on Tuesday warns members of the public of food ordering scams.
