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Hong Kong police arrested a 22-year-old mainland university student on Tuesday after she was caught collecting money in an ongoing ICAC impersonation scam, despite having previously lost HK$100,000 herself to a similar fraud.
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Officers received a report two days ago from a 22-year-old man who was called by someone posing as a government official demanding a “security deposit.”
The caller arranged to collect the cash in person in Kennedy Town. Suspecting a scam, the man alerted police.
Following intelligence analysis, officers set up an ambush and arrested the woman when she arrived to collect the payment that afternoon. She was charged with suspicion of obtaining property by deception.
Police seized from her a forged Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) staff identity card, handwritten “bail application” documents from victims, and clothing designed to resemble official attire.
The arrested woman claimed to be a university student studying in Hong Kong. Initial investigation indicated that she was previously a victim of a similar scam, losing HK$100,000.
She was subsequently recruited by the fraud syndicate, receiving about HK$2,000 each time to assist in fraudulent activities.
Investigators believe she is connected to at least six other phone fraud cases involving impersonated officials between October and December last year, in districts including Hung Hom, Mong Kok, Western District, Chai Wan and Happy Valley, with total losses of approximately HK$2.8 million. The largest single case involved HK$310,000.
The woman remains in custody pending formal charges of obtaining property by deception. Her case is expected to be heard at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts.
