Twelve-year-old among 14 victims of online gaming scams, total losses reach HK$270k

The police reported on Monday that they had received 14 reports of individuals being scammed out of their valuable gaming accounts, resulting in total losses amounting to HK$270,000. The youngest victim in these cases is 12 years old.

Online gaming has surged in popularity, with many players investing money to purchase weapons or cosmetics to enhance their game statistics. This trend has also led some gamers to sell their personal accounts for profit, making them prime targets for scammers.

Over the past week, the police have noted that among the victims, eight are students, with the youngest being only 12 years old. It has been revealed that some victims advertised their game accounts on social media or second-hand sales platforms. Others were simply gamers who encountered scammers online.

These fraudsters often pretended to be interested in purchasing the gaming accounts for a high price.

The scammers lure victims with the promise of significant payments. They then suggest conducting the transaction through a third-party trading platform and providing a link to a fraudulent site where victims are asked to register an account.

Once registered, the scammer claims to have transferred money to the account on this fake platform. However, when victims attempt to withdraw the funds, they discover that the money has been frozen. Contacting what appears to be customer service, they are informed that a fee must be paid to unfreeze the account. Unfortunately, after paying this fee, the scammers vanish, along with the fake platform.

The police urge the public to use reputable trading platforms, avoid trusting links provided by strangers, protect personal information, and be wary of offers that seem too generous. Sellers are specifically cautioned against believing scammers who ask for upfront payments before the release of funds.

For those concerned about potential scams, the police recommend using tools like Scameter on the CyberDefender website or the mobile application Scameter+ to assess the risk of scams.