Police arrested 37 people over scams and money laundering cases worth HK$95 million

Police arrested 37 people concerning at least 35 cases of online scams and money laundering in Kwun Tong, with the youngest arrestee being 15.

Kwun Tong police district conducted a three-week-long operation to combat technological crime and scam activities within the district, busting 35 cases ranging from online shopping, investment, and job hunting scams affecting over 100 victims and scamming them out of over 89 million.

Officers arrested 37 people, aged 15 to 66, who were mostly holders of the stooge bank accounts and had admitted to providing their accounts to the syndicate to earn some quick cash.

Among the 35 cases, there were a total of 101 victims, of whom 37 were men and 64 were women, aged between 18 and 75.

The biggest loss incurred involved a 56-year-old woman who was tricked into investing in a cryptocurrency after meeting a man online and suffered a monetary loss of HK$41 million.

A police spokesman urged residents to avoid selling their accounts out of greed for some cash rewards, and just because they are not directly involved in the crimes does not mean they are innocent.

They will be treated the same as criminals and face the maximum punishment of 14 years imprisonment and a HK$5 million fine once convicted.