Nine held as consumption voucher ring is busted

A group of nine people have been arrested after police smashed a fraud syndicate for allegedly conspiring with several retail outlets to cash in HK$310,000 worth of consumption vouchers belonging to 46 victims.

The suspects - seven men and two women, aged 16 to 46 - included a student, housewife, nurse and merchants. Six male suspects were still being detained, while the others have been released on police bail.

Police said they have received 64 reports of stolen consumption vouchers since the first batch was disbursed on April 7, 46 of which were committed by the syndicate.

It said the suspects first obtained the victims' personal information, including copies of their ID cards.

The suspects then mailed this information to the Consumption Voucher Scheme's secretariat to change the accounts receiving the money to their own.

They then hired youngsters to cash in the vouchers at three shops.

Most of the cash was given to key members of the syndicate, and the youngsters earned a small amount.