A Hong Kong woman lost HK$9 million after falling victim to a six-month online cryptocurrency scam that began with a social media post seeking adoption for her pet, according to Sing Tao Headline, sister publication of The Standard.
The victim, surname Wong, said that in April last year, she posted online seeking a good home for her pet when a man posing as a newly arrived single father approached her.
Over several months, he gained her trust and persuaded her to invest in a fake cryptocurrency platform claiming high returns through cloud mining.
Initially, Wong invested HK$60,000, which quickly grew to HK$100,000 after seeing small early profits. Encouraged by this apparent success, she continued investing, eventually losing a total of HK$9 million.
When she tried to withdraw her funds, the platform cited various excuses. After failing to contact the man and reading about similar scams in the media, Wong realized she had been defrauded and reported the case to the police.
“The adoption request initially triggered my sympathy. I thought he was a caring person, but scammers can take a long time to lower your guard, gradually convincing you to invest more until you lose significant money,” Wong said.
Police data show that 2,273 online investment scams were reported in Hong Kong in the first half of 2025, with losses totaling HK$1.48 billion, a 36% increase from last year. Authorities warned that scammers use fake investment platforms to lure victims and urged public vigilance, recommending tools such as the “Scameter+” app to assess potential fraud risks.
