Police said they received at least 18 reports of online romance scams in the past week, with total losses exceeding HK$13 million. One case involved a middle-aged engineer who lost HK$8.5 million after being lured by a scammer posing as a Taiwanese dancer.
In a post on its "CyberDefender" anti-scam page on Monday, police said the engineer met a woman claiming to be a dancer at a private club in Taiwan through a dating app. They interacted frequently on WhatsApp and he gradually fell for her.
A scammer posing as the dancer's "manager" then intervened, repeatedly persuading the victim to transfer money under the pretexts of buying "popularity votes" for a dance exam, club membership fees, asset checks and meeting arrangements, otherwise he would not be allowed to meet the dancer.
Within half a month, the victim transferred more than HK$8.5 million in total to 17 bank accounts designated by the scammers. The "manager" then demanded an additional "administrative fee," but the victim had been drained and the scammers went silent, prompting him to realise he had been scammed.
Police urged the public not to fully trust netizens they have never met. Anyone who has never met in person and communicates only through text or video should have zero tolerance and make zero transfers when money is requested. They should not disclose personal information, and should seek advice from trusted relatives and friends if in doubt. Suspected cases can be reported via the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 or the Scameter website or app, and police should be called in emergencies.
