Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Wai Lok said at a press conference yesterday that the police received separate reports from seven local residents, two men and five women, saying that their credit card information was stolen when clicking onto phishing links earlier this week.
According to Ho, the victims received messages from a purported telecommunications company claiming that their loyalty points were close to expiration. The messages urged the victims to click on embedded links to reclaim supposed “gifts” like earphones.
The victims provided their credit card information as requested. However, they later discovered that unauthorised deductions had been made from their bank accounts. These deductions were in euros and UAE dirham, ranging from 22,000 to 61,000 patacas. In total, the seven victims suffered deductions amounting to 262,000 patacas.
2 local uni students & man fall for online scams
Meanwhile, two local female university students and a local man reported separately to the police earlier this week that they were cheated out of between 11,620 and 101,000 patacas in an online scam.
According to Ho, the three victims read on Facebook earlier this week that an online shop was hiring people to give positive reviews and likes to non-local hotels and homestays for “commissions”.
The victims then transferred money to the website’s “customer service” and started rating. They received and cashed in “commissions” the first few times, but after that their requests to withdraw the money were refused, after which they lost contact with the “customer service”. They reported a total loss of 166,000 patacas.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Wai Lok looks on during a special press conference yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
