A man from the mainland, posing as a currency exchange dealer, has been arrested for defrauding another mainlander out of 32,725 yuan, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chan Wun Man said at a regular press conference yesterday.
The 38-year-old suspect surnamed Wu told the police that he works as a driver.
According to Chan, on Monday the male victim on WeChat arranged a deal with a stranger who offered a “good exchange rate”. The arrangement stipulated the victim transfer 32,725 yuan to the currency exchange dealer, while the victim would receive HK$35,000 from the dealer.
Later, Wu, who claimed to represent the dealer, and the victim met in a Cotai hotel lobby. The victim then transferred the money to a bank account provided by Wu, after which Wu told the victim that he did not have the money ready to carry out the currency exchange, leading the victim to report the case to the police.
Wu was arrested at the scene. Under questioning, he claimed that a man had promised to pay him 150 yuan to collect the money from the victim. He told the police that he never received the 150 yuan he had been promised.
Wu has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a fraud charge.
