A mainland man defrauded in mid-August a local couple walking in Cotai of HK$4,000 by using a bogus “iPhone” on the pretext that he had lost all his money gambling in a casino and needed cash urgently, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said yesterday.
Speaking during yesterday’s regular press conference, Lai added that the Public Security Police only were able to intercept the suspect at the Barrier Gate checkpoint at the end of last month.
According to the PSP investigation, the couple, who had bought the phone from the suspect in the street after negotiating its price down to HK$4,000, later confirmed with a local telecom company that the phone was counterfeit.
The Public Security Police, after scrutinising the police forces’ citywide CCTV camera system, identified the suspect as an Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) travel permit holder surnamed Chen who is in his thirties.
Under questioning, the suspect insisted that he had not been aware that the phone was counterfeit, adding that he had purchased it in the mainland.
The Public Security Police have transferred the suspect to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation, facing a fraud charge.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) yesterday shows the fraud suspect being escorted by two police officers to a police station in Taipa.
