A middle-aged local woman has fallen victim to a “fake police” scam, losing a total of 2,338,000 patacas, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
According to Cheong, the victim received a call last Sunday from a scammer claiming to be from the “Wuhan Public Security Bureau.” The scammer alleged that the victim’s mobile number was involved in disseminating illegal gambling-related messages in the Chinese mainland and demanded cooperation in a “video investigation,” Cheong said.
During the video chat, according to Cheong, the scammer displayed a number of forged documents, such as an “arrest warrant” and a “prosecutorial” document, to deceive the victim. The scammer then instructed the victim to activate the phone’s screen-sharing function and log into her online banking account to enter account details and passwords under the false pretext of conducting a “funds verification,” Cheong said.
Until Wednesday, the victim, according to Cheong, following the scammer’s instructions, went to a bank to deposit HK$200,000 as a “margin” into a designated account. During the process, a bank staff member alerted the victim of suspicious transactions through her account recently, Cheong said.
Suspecting fraud, the victim immediately stopped the transaction and went to the Judiciary Police to report the case, Cheong said, adding that the victim discovered that 2,338,000 patacas had already been withdrawn from her account.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Siu Keong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Armindo Neves
