Online romance scams in 10 months, 1,369 cases in Malaysia, Hong Kong detained 27 people, 37 people totaling $15 million

Affected by the epidemic, online dating has become more popular, but at the same time online romance scams have skyrocketed. The police recorded 1,369 online romance scams in the first 10 months of this year, an increase of more than 80% over the same period last year, with a loss of up to 480 million Hong Kong dollars. It is 2.7 times that of last year.

In view of this, the local police, in conjunction with Interpol and the Royal Malaysian Police, conducted relevant arrest operations to detect a fraud group active in Southeast Asia. A total of 8 men and 19 women (20 to 66 years old) were arrested, involving 37 online love scams. In the case, the loss was as high as 15 million Hong Kong dollars.

Chief Inspector of the Cyber ​​Security and Technology Crime Investigation Bureau, Zhang Weihao (left), said that the scammers met the victim online, used sweet words to establish a relationship, and then used the excuse to ask the victim to provide money.

(Photo by Huang Weimin)

The Chief Inspector of the Hong Kong Cyber ​​Security and Technology Crime Investigation Bureau, Zhang Weihao, said that scammers get to know the victim online, use sweet words to establish a relationship with the victim, and then use the excuse to ask the victim to provide money, including the need for capital turnover; the victim is recommended to invest , Including virtual currency investment; on the grounds of giving gifts to the victim, the victim is required to pay customs clearance fees, and the victim then deposits the money into the designated bank account provided by the fraudster as instructed.

Among the 37 fraud cases, the victim of the largest loss was a 29-year-old female investment manager. She met the scammer on an online platform. After establishing a relationship, the two parties discussed investment proposals and were subsequently defrauded of 1.8 million yuan.

The Hong Kong police, together with the Interpol and the Royal Malaysian Police, conducted relevant arrest operations and detected a fraud group active in Southeast Asia. A total of 8 men and 19 women (20 to 66 years old) were arrested, involving 37 online love scams and losses as high as 1,500. Ten thousand Hong Kong dollars.

(Photo by Huang Weimin)

After investigation, the Cybercrime Division maintained in-depth contact with Interpol and the Royal Malaysian Police, and successfully targeted a fraud group active in Southeast Asia.

Malaysian police arrested 5 men and 2 women Nigerians on suspicion of fraud and overstaying. Investigations revealed that they were remotely manipulating puppet accounts in Hong Kong for money laundering activities.

The Hong Kong police arrested 3 men and 17 women, aged between 20 and 66, on charges of money laundering. They were the holders of puppet accounts and assisted in laundering the proceeds of the crime. So far, the arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation.

During the operation, the police seized 10 mobile phones, a batch of bank cards and bank documents involved in the case for further investigation.

Some people arrested in Hong Kong claimed that they were also victims of online scams and were tricked into surrendering their bank information to their boyfriends in other places for business purposes.

Zhang Weihao said that if someone lent a bank account that is involved in criminal activities, the police will investigate based on the information and decide whether to proceed with prosecution or other follow-up actions based on the circumstances of each case.

The Senior Inspector of the Police Cyber ​​Security and Technology Crime Investigation Division promised to remind citizens that they must be very cautious about making friends online and do not put their personal information on the Internet. If they suspect the identity of the other party, they can request a video call or other means of verification.

In addition, citizens who lend their bank accounts to others for illegal purposes will be guilty of money laundering. Once convicted, they can be imprisoned for up to 14 years and fined 5 million Hong Kong dollars. Don't try the law.

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