Four Arrested in Hong Kong Pokémon Card Scam
HK01 · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police said they arrested two men and two women on September 14 over an alleged fraud ring linked to six Pokémon card trading cases across Hong Kong and Kowloon. Investigators said victims buying popular collectible cards through social platforms were tricked into making duplicate payments after being falsely told their Faster Payment System transfer had gone to the wrong account or had not been received.
Key Points
- West District police said the suspects, aged 28 to 34, were arrested on September 14 for obtaining property by deception in six cases totaling about HK$101,000.
- Police said fraudsters posted ads for popular collectible cards on Facebook and other social platforms, then arranged face-to-face handovers through lower-level operatives.
- During the exchange, victims were told to use the Faster Payment System to avoid counterfeit cash, then were asked to pay again after claims of a wrong account or missing funds.
- Victims still received the cards, but the first FPS recipient later disappeared and no refund was made; one single card in the cases was worth about HK$30,000.
- Police said some arrestees acted as couriers, one had a triad background, and at least one person told officers they were recruited online for about HK$3,000.
Why It Matters
The case points to a scam method that exploits the speed and convenience of FPS while using in-person handovers to make transactions appear legitimate. Police said the investigation is continuing, they are tracing the mastermind and other suspects, and more arrests have not been ruled out.