A male taxi driver has been apprehended for deceiving seven other taxi drivers with false promises of renting out his cab, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during a special press briefing yesterday.
The 60-year-old suspect, identified as Cheong, targeted seven local male victims who reported the cases to the police in August. They collectively lost between HK$70,000 and HK$430,000 each, amounting to a total of HK$860,000.
One victim, defrauded out of HK$430,000, told the police that in August 2023, Cheong purportedly offered him a rental deal for his taxi, promising a discount for longer rental periods.
After paying two years’ worth of rent, the victim drove night shifts until June, when Cheong’s taxi was seized by the court. Upon requesting the return of his deposit, Cheong refused, suggesting instead that the victim invest in a new taxi licence, to which the victim handed over an additional HK$160,000. Cheong consistently postponed the repayment and came up with a litany of excuses, prompting the victim and others to report the incident to the police.
Cheong was arrested in the city centre on Tuesday. Under questioning, he admitted to the fraud and told the police that he had gambled away all the ill-gotten money.
The suspect was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing fraud charges, Lou said.
