A woman who lost hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong dollars to a phone scam has been unable to recover any of the money for two years, despite police freezing more than HK$100,000 in a suspected mule account.
The case was shared by a netizen on social media, who said their mother fell victim to the scam two years ago.
Police later froze more than HK$100,000 in a bank account allegedly controlled by the scammers. The family initially hoped the funds could be returned, but was told the account was a “mule account” containing money from multiple scam victims.
The family then sought legal assistance and hired a lawyer, paying more than HK$10,000 in initial legal fees before being asked to pay another HK$20,000.
When they asked how much the entire process would cost, the lawyer reportedly said he did not know. The family eventually decided not to pursue the case, citing the potentially high and uncertain legal costs.
A new police officer recently contacted the victim’s mother and explained that legal proceedings would be required to recover the frozen funds. The family was told the legal costs could reach about HK$100,000.
The family said it was difficult to justify spending close to HK$100,000 to recover a portion of the frozen funds, as it was unclear how much of the money belonged to the victim.
Solicitor Vitus Leung Wing-hang, who was consulted by Sing Tao Probe, a sister publication of The Standard, said recovering money from scams can be complicated and requires substantial legal documentation, resulting in higher legal fees.
He said victims should consider whether it is worthwhile pursuing a claim if the amount lost is relatively small, adding that giving up could sometimes be a way to stop further losses.
Police figures showed about HK$2.1 billion in suspected crime proceeds were intercepted last year, although figures on the amount ultimately recovered by scam victims were not available.
