Man loses $210,000 in Carousell luggage scam involving fake buyer and bogus customer service

A 26-year-old man was tricked into transferring nearly HK$210,000 after falling for a sophisticated scam while trying to sell a suitcase on Carousell.

Police received at least 276 Carousell-related online shopping fraud reports in the past week, with total losses approaching HK$14 million.

In one case, a 26-year-old man listed a suitcase for sale on the platform. A scammer contacted him claiming interest and sent a fake Carousell phishing link via WhatsApp.

Although the victim initially refused to enter details on the suspicious site, the fraudster switched tactics and posed as Carousell customer service, insisting the seller must pay a “security deposit” to receive payment for the item.

The victim transferred a total of nearly HK$210,000 in two installments to a bank account provided by the scammer. After the money was sent, the fraudster disappeared, and the victim realized he had been tricked.

Police urged both buyers and sellers to stay vigilant—if a trading partner sends a link to an external website and then asks for bank transfers or personal information such as email, password, or credit card details, treat it with extreme caution.

Anyone in doubt should verify directly with official sources or use the “Scameter” tool on the CyberDefender website or the “Scameter+” app to check suspicious links or phone numbers.