Quick love, big trouble: divorced man extorted for $9m in romance scam

A 56-year-old divorced logistics company owner, Marco, told Sing Tao, a sister publication of The Standard, that he fell into a romance scam after quickly starting a relationship and moving in with a woman he met at a dinner several years ago.

According to Marco, the woman initially claimed to work in the finance sector, earning about HK$70,000 a month. The pair quickly grew close, with the woman kissing him during their first meeting and moving into his home just two days later.

Marco said that shortly after they began living together, the woman accused him of infidelity and displayed aggressive behavior, including threatening him with a knife. Despite attempts to calm the situation and involving police, Marco claimed she repeatedly demanded money under various pretexts. He said he paid her HK$100,000 and later provided HK$200,000 for what was described as an investment, which he now believes was part of a scam.

The situation escalated after the relationship ended in 2023. Marco alleged that his former girlfriend took his signed cheque book and company seal, after which he received threats demanding HK$9 million, prompting him to seek police assistance.

Marco’s adult daughter was also affected, suffering an unprovoked assault outside her hair salon last November and later receiving threatening phone calls. Police subsequently arrested a 28-year-old woman and a 30-year-old man in connection with the threats and assault. Marco’s former girlfriend was reportedly arrested in December on suspicion of criminal intimidation.

Marco urged others to resolve financial disputes through legal channels and said the ordeal has made him far more cautious about entering new relationships.