A Hong Kong man's act of kindness took an unexpected turn after he stopped to help two women with directions outside Whampoa MTR Station, only to end up reporting the incident to police after they allegedly grabbed his phone to transfer money to themselves.
The man shared his experience on social media, saying he was approached by two Mandarin-speaking women asking for directions to Victoria Harbour. After using Google Maps to help them, the women allegedly claimed they had no money because their wallet had been "blocked" and asked him to lend them cash for MTR fares.
According to the post, the man instead offered to pay for their train tickets or call them an Uber, but both offers were rejected. The women allegedly insisted that he transfer money to them immediately.
When he refused, the pair allegedly surrounded him, preventing him from leaving, before grabbing his phone and making a transfer through his AlipayHK account. The man said he lost 40 yuan (about HK$46.68).
He said he then told the women he was heading into the MTR station to withdraw cash and sought help from station staff. The two women fled the scene before police arrived.
The man later confirmed that he had reported the incident to police. He also joked that the suspects had chosen the wrong victim, saying he had no cash on him and only about HK$47 left in his AlipayHK account.
The post sparked widespread discussion online, with many users expressing sympathy while urging others to stay vigilant when approached by strangers asking for help.
Others questioned how the payment had been completed, noting that mobile payment apps typically require facial recognition, fingerprint verification or a password to authorize transactions.
