Jobseekers Lose HK$4mn To Scams In Four Months

Conmen have continued to strike it rich in Hong Kong, scamming HK$4 million out of 54 jobseekers in the first four months of this year.

In the worst case, a 26-year-old applicant paid HK$910,000 as an advance, for what was described as a "high return" position in the cosmetics sector, police said.

A senior inspector of the Commercial Crime Bureau, Hui Chung-hang, said in some cases, victims were asked to take out loans from financial companies.

The fraudsters enticed the victims, saying the higher the amount paid the better the jobs would be. But once the money was paid, they disappeared, Hui said.

He also said that young adults or those with little work experience are most likely to fall for such tricks and warned those entering the job market to be wary of such offers.