Hong Kong Police Report Over 50 Online Romance Scams
HONG KONG – Police have warned of a surge in online romance scams, revealing more than 50 reports in the past two weeks with combined losses exceeding HK$16 million (US$2.04 million).
According to a post on the CyberDefender Facebook page, one victim — a 47-year-old woman — met a man on WhatsApp who claimed to be involved in gold investments in the United States. Over two weeks, she transferred HK$300,000 from her savings to three personal bank accounts, then borrowed an additional HK$1.6 million, converting it into the cryptocurrency Tether at his request.
Despite warnings from friends that she was being targeted in a “pig-butchering” scam, she continued to invest until confiding in her family, only to discover the scammer had vanished.
Police urged the public to verify identities, meet contacts in person, and reject unrealistic investment tips. They also promoted the Scameter platform, a one-stop tool to assess fraud risks.
