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A Malaysian woman, suspected to have been recruited to Hong Kong by a scam syndicate, has been arrested for allegedly scamming money from victims of telephone scams.
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Police received reports from two elderly men, aged 80 and 88, last Tuesday and Wednesday. Both said they had received calls from scammers posing as relatives who claimed to have been arrested and requested "bail money." The men were told to pay HK$100,000 and HK$50,000, respectively.
On the same day, the two victims handed over cash payments to a woman in Sau Mau Ping and Wong Tai Sin, respectively. It was only after contacting their families that they realized they had been scammed, and reported the incidents to police.
The Sau Mau Ping Police District Crime Branch took over the investigation and arrested a 53-year-old Malaysian woman yesterday at a hotel on Nathan Road, Tsim Sha Tsui. She remains in custody on suspicion of “obtaining property by deception” as the investigation continues.
Police stressed that “obtaining property by deception” is a serious criminal offense. Under Section 17 of the Cap. 210 Theft Ordinance, anyone convicted of this offense faces up to 10 years in prison.
