Man commits suicide after falling for scams, gathering HK$700,000 in debt

A man was found dead in Wong Tai Sin on Monday morning after committing suicide as he had garnered a large amount of debt from internet scams he could not repay.

Yesterday, at around 11 am, an apartment in Fu Lai House located in Wong Tai Sin was reported for having a strong foul stench along with leaking fluid.

The security guard of the building received the complaint and went to investigate. Knocking on the door, he received no response and reasorted to contacting the police for assistance.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and broke down the door, revealing a 53-year-old man lying on the ground.

He was pronounced dead on-site after a medical examination.

Officers found a suicide letter, which revealed that he had committed suicide due to being unable to repay his HK$700,000 debt.

Police investigated and found that the man had been the victim of internet scams twice, which led him to lose around HK$400,000 that accumulated to a steep HK$700,000 debt he was unable to repay.

It is understood that Shum was a hotel worker who came into contact with the fraudsters through Telegram last June.

The fraudsters proposed the chance to make quick money working as a film reviewer online.

He fell for the scam and transferred HK$210,000 into the bank accounts of three fraudsters.

In March this year, he fell for another online scam after meeting a fraudster on Facebook who claimed to provide dating services and was requested that he buy 28 iTune gift cards and transfer nearly HK$70,000 to two separate bank accounts.

In the end, he was scammed nearly $180,000, losing nearly HK$400,000 in a span of 10 months.

If you or someone you know has suicidal thoughts, help is available. Dial 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or 2382 2007 for Suicide Prevention Services.   

You can also call Suicide Prevention Services at 2382 0000 or CEASE Crisis Centre of Tung Wah Groups of Hospitals at 18281.

The government hotline 18111 can provide support for people with mental health needs and render immediate mental health support and referral services.