Fake Mainland Officials Con Man Out Of HK$7mn

Police say a mainland man who lives and works in Hong Kong lost more than HK$7 million to a gang of scammers claiming to be officials, who also conned a young woman into helping them in their scheme.

A caller speaking Putonghua contacted the man in mid-August claiming he was wanted on money-laundering charges on the mainland. He was told to hand over personal details including his address, ID number, bank account and online banking password to show his innocence.

Later, the man was visited at his home in Jordan by a 20-year-old woman who handed him what was supposedly a warrant for his arrest. Police say the woman was also manipulated by the gang using accusations that she was wanted for crimes. She did not report losing any cash.

The male victim eventually contacted Hong Kong police when he realised that some HK$7.13 million had been wired out of his account without his consent.

Officers say they're looking for several Putonghua-speaking suspects, but haven't made any arrests yet.

Similar phone scams with similar techniques involving fake officials have become increasingly common. In recent months there have been several cases of people trying to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic.