The Judiciary Police (PJ) announced yesterday that a local resident has lost 217,000 patacas in a fraud case after being accused by scammers of “violating national security laws”.
The victim was coerced into transferring money to designated accounts for a purported “fund review”. The details were released in a police statement yesterday and also raised during a regular press conference.
According to the PJ, the victim, whose gender was not revealed, recently reported receiving a phone call from a Cantonese-speaking individual claiming to be from the “Macau Judiciary Police”. The caller was able to correctly state the resident’s full name.
The fraudster claimed that a phone number registered in the resident’s name had been used to spread “untrue political remarks,” thereby allegedly “violating the national security law”. The victim was told that he or she must cooperate fully with an investigation.
The call was subsequently transferred to another scammer posing as a police officer from the mainland. Speaking in Putonghua, this individual instructed the victim to join a video call via WhatsApp. During the call, the scammer – wearing a counterfeit police uniform – accused the victim of involvement in a serious crime.
Under the guise of an “online investigation,” the victim was ordered to provide regular updates on his or her whereabouts and transfer funds into specific accounts for “verification” purposes. The victim eventually lost a total of 217,000 patacas.
The PJ reminded the public that law enforcement officers will never ask for bank details over the phone or via messaging apps. Furthermore, the police will never request that citizens share their mobile screens, perform banking operations, or transfer money.
The statement urged anyone who receives a suspicious call from a government entity to verify the caller’s identity by visiting the respective entity in person or using official communication channels.
Members of the public are also advised to use the Judiciary Police’s anti-fraud mini-programme on WeChat to check risk levels. Those seeking assistance can call the anti-fraud enquiry hotline on 8800 7777 or the crime-reporting hotline on 993.
This poster released by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows the modus operandi of fake police scams. The AI-translated English text was arranged by the Post.
