Police have arrested a 52-year-old local man suspected of running a "phone scam" across multiple districts in Hong Kong over the past six months, targeting pedestrians by claiming his mobile phone was damaged after being bumped into.
Officers from the Tuen Mun district criminal investigation team arrested the man on Monday afternoon following an investigation involving extensive review of CCTV footage. The force had received multiple reports between July 2025 and January 2026 from citizens across various districts who alleged they were deliberately approached and collided with, after which the suspect demanded high repair costs for his supposedly damaged phone.
The amounts demanded ranged from a few hundred to several thousand Hong Kong dollars. Initial investigations link the man to similar cases in several districts in Kowloon and the New Territories during that period.
Police seized clothing the suspect allegedly wore during the incidents and a mobile phone with a severely damaged screen, believed to be the tool used in the scam. He is being detained on suspicion of obtaining property by deception.
Authorities reminded the public to remain vigilant if encountering such situations, not to pay compensation immediately, and to report to police if necessary. The offence of obtaining property by deception carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment under the Theft Ordinance.
