Police arrest teen in ‘Guess Who I Am’ scam targeting elderly, incurring $1.1m in losses

Hong Kong police have apprehended a 17-year-old unemployed local youth in connection with seven “Guess Who I Am” phone scams that took place in September 2025, swindling seven elderly victims out of a total of HK$1.1 million. 

The scams targeted retirees aged between 68 and 86, with the largest single loss amounting to HK$520,000. In these incidents, scammers impersonated the victims’ sons or grandsons, falsely claiming they had been detained by police for criminal offenses and urgently needed bail money ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. 

Preying on the victims’ concern for their loved ones, the perpetrators instructed them not to inform other family members and arranged for accomplices to collect the cash in person. 

The victims only realized they had been deceived after contacting their actual relatives.

Following an in-depth investigation, police arrested the suspect on September 26 on charges of obtaining property by deception. 

The youth, who reported being unemployed, was allegedly lured online by fraudsters to participate in the scam for a meager daily payment of HK$500 per job. 

He is currently detained as the investigation continues.

Despite being aware of phone scam tactics, the seven victims fell into the trap due to the emotional urgency created by the scammers, who exploited their worry for family members. 

Police condemned the fraudsters’ tactics as despicable, highlighting the manipulative nature of targeting vulnerable elderly individuals with such schemes.