A seafood vendor in the New Territories East has been exposed for allegedly tricking an unsuspecting customer by swapping a live yellow croaker with a dead one and selling it at a reduced price in what a witness described as a "fish swapping" scam.
The incident came to light after a social media user posted an account on Threads, detailing the deceptive practice they observed at a wet market.
The witness recounted seeing an elderly customer browsing yellow croakers in a plastic tub at a seafood stall.
According to the post, a female vendor quickly presented the customer with a dead yellow croaker, marketing it at HK$70, while live ones were priced at HK$80.
The customer, seemingly uninterested, moved away to look at other fish.
The witness then saw the female vendor surreptitiously toss the dead fish to a male fishmonger, who handled the gutting and cleaning.
Within seconds, the female vendor then picked up a live yellow croaker, offered it to the customer for HK$70, and the customer proceeded with the purchase, taking the fish and leaving.
The most shocking part of the account came approximately 10 seconds later, when the male fishmonger retrieved the live yellow croaker that had just been sold and returned it to the female vendor, who then placed it back in the tub for sale.
The witness expressed dismay at the vendor's dishonest tactics, stating they would try to avoid patronizing the stall in the future.
The post garnered attention from netizens, with some inquiring about the specific market.
However, the original poster politely declined to reveal the exact location, only stating it was in the New Territories East.
