A 71-year-old man fell victim to a notorious phone scam this week, losing his entire life savings of HK$1.1 million to fraudsters posing as his son.
Police have arrested four suspects aged between 15 and 30 in connection with this and three similar cases totaling HK$2.6 million in losses.
The incident occurred on Tuesday when the elderly victim received a call from someone claiming to be his son, who allegedly said he had been arrested and needed bail money.
The distressed father handed over the cash in two installments before realizing he had been duped after calling his actual son.
Authorities from the Kwun Tong police district sprang into action, apprehending a 30-year-old local man within 24 hours.
Further investigation revealed this suspect's involvement in three other identical scams across Kwai Chung, Tsuen Wan, and Hung Hom this week, targeting victims aged 55 to 90.
In a follow-up operation, police arrested three more individuals—including a 15-year-old student and a mainland Chinese man holding a Hong Kong and Macao Travel Permit.
Investigators said the teenage suspect had been recruited online, receiving daily payments of HK$500 to HK$1,000 for his role in collecting the illicit money.
Police condemnedcriminals exploiting both vulnerable seniors and minors, noting some victims kept their entire savings at home rather than in banks.
The scammers reportedly used psychological tactics, first requesting small "bail" amounts to gain trust before demanding much larger sums.
Authorities emphasized that "obtaining property by deception" carries a maximum 10-year prison sentence.
They reminded the public that police never request bail payments through third parties and urged residents to be wary of unknown callers.
While the four suspects remain in custody, police continue tracing the stolen funds, which have not yet been recovered.
