A young non-local man has lost around 30,300 patacas in an online scam involving a purported sex service after being repeatedly tricked into making payments, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong said.
According to Cheong, the victim reported the case to the Judiciary Police last Friday.
Cheong did not disclose the victim’s age or any further personal details, merely saying that he is of young age.
Cheong said the victim met a person, unknown to him, online at around 8:00 p.m. on October 20, who claimed to offer sexual services. Before arranging a meeting, the person instructed the victim to download a designated mobile app, register as a member, and complete several verification procedures.
At around 11:00 p.m. that day, the victim transferred more than 1,000 yuan (1,210 patacas) as a “verification fee” as per the scammer’s request. However, after receiving the money, the scammer claimed that the victim had completed the steps incorrectly and that the fee was non-refundable, Cheong added.
The scammer then repeatedly demanded further payments, claiming that the victim had to complete certain tasks, follow additional procedures, and correct errors in the system. The victim was threatened that the earlier payments could not be recovered unless he complied.
Cheong noted that, following the instructions, the victim made payments through WeChat, Alipay, and purchases of game credits, transferring a total of 25,000 yuan. The scammer continued demanding increasingly large sums but did not refund any money.
Suspecting that he had been defrauded, the victim finally reported the case to the police.
The case remains under investigation, Cheong said.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong looks on during yesterday’s regular meeting. – Photo: Sherwin Hng
