275 arrested for defrauding HK$14mn traffic accident assistance fund

Police arrested 275 individuals involved in defrauding the Traffic Accident Victim Assistance (TAVA) payments totaling HK$14 million by staging the traffic accidents as well as using false medical certificates.

The suspects -- 182 males and 93 females aged between 18 and 64 -- are facing charges of fraud and conspiracy to defraud. They have claimed TAVA payments ranging from HK$2,000 to HK$152,000 in connection with 121 traffic accidents that mainly happened between March 2023 and April 2024.

The police and the Social Welfare Department (SWD) conducted a joint investigation in March after finding some TAVA applicants fabricating sick leave certificates to extend their leave and maximize the aid.

In one case, an applicant extended a two-day sick leave to 180 days using false documents, and received HK$152,000 from the SWD in aid.

The police also revealed a fraud scamming of HK$700,000, in which the suspects staged a collision by driving a car to intentionally ram into a bus in Tung Chung, with 11 of the 14 injured passengers being part of the fraud group to claim for the victim assistance. 

Furthermore, it was discovered that some individuals were debtors who were forced into participating in staged accidents to share the funds obtained for debt payments. 

Annisa Ma Sau-ching, the assistant director of SWD, reported that 182 of the 275 individuals arrested had their TAVA applications approved. 

She said the department will continue to assist the police investigation and recover all the overpaid assistance payments from the relevant arrestees.