Dogmeat sale ad clickers 'scammed' out of $1.36m

Stacy Shi

An online advert selling dogmeat in Hong Kong is a sophisticated scam that tricked victims out of HK$1.3 million after they shared personal details through a fraudulent mobile app, according to police.

Police collaborating with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched an investigation into the online vendor claiming to sell dogmeat following an uproar over the advert.

Police called on people not to download a payment platform mobile app, Merchandise Delivery in Chinese, which already conned nine victims out of HK$1.36 million.

Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau acting superintendent Lester Ip Cheuk-yu yesterday said the app will ask for permission to access the customer's smartphone and trick them into entering their bank login ID, password and PIN code on a fake bank login page.

Scammers then log in to their bank account to transfer out money, Ip said.

The scheme emerged as early as September, with scammers setting up Facebook and Instagram accounts to promote a variety of cheap services or commodities, including food, travel packages and car rental services.

"Scammers will send an Android package file or link to potential customers, requesting them to install an app to order, which has been changing names, such as First Mall, Hong Kong and Macau Mall, 88 Grocery and Merchandise Delivery," Ip said.

After receiving permission, the malicious app remotely controls the smartphone and can access victims' bank accounts even when the display is off, said chief inspector Lau Ngo-chung.

As the app is only available on Android, other smartphone users were asked to pay a HK$30 deposit through the Faster Payment System, with the recipient showing as Hong Kong Homeless Dog Shelter - or HKHDS - after entering an FPS ID provided by the seller.

The shelter's founder, Angela Chan Ka-yee, said on Facebook that she had reported the bank account as stolen. Her post read: "HKHDS has never been involved in any dogmeat trade, strongly condemns the malicious act of smearing us and reserves the right to take legal action."

Ip said: "Scammers were attempting to raise public attention and lure animal lovers, who may download the app to trace the identity of the seller."

Police reminded that people should download mobile apps from official channels, not to click on links from unknown sources, not to allow apps access to unreasonable permissions and restore phones to factory settings if suspected malicious software has been installed.

So far no evidence has been found related to the dogmeat trade but Ip said police will continue to investigate whether the case involves animal cruelty or other crimes.

Barrister Gordon Chan Wai-chi warned that people who inquired about cat meat or dogmeat might already have breached the law.

"If one knows the shop is selling cat meat or dogmeat, he or she may already have a mindset of eating or buying dogmeat when simply inquiring may already be illegal," Chan said. "It will be a more serious and substantive offense if there is concrete evidence to show that the deal was successful."

Hong Kong Monetary Authority deputy chief executive Arthur Yuen Kwok-hang reminded people not to blindly believe in online discounts.

Yuen said the number of fraud complaints received by the HKMA in the first 10 months this year was twice as much as the whole of last year.

stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com