Mainland students in Hong Kong hit by rental scams
On.cc · 1 SOURCES1 day ago5 MIN
Summary
Mainland students renting homes in Hong Kong have also become targets of fraud, alongside Hong Kong students被骗 overseas. In the first six months of the year, law enforcement received 344 fraud reports involving mainland students coming to Hong Kong, with total losses of HK$75 million . Rental scams were a major problem, with fraudsters exploiting students’ unfamiliarity with Hong Kong leasing procedures and using claims of discounts for advance payment and tight housing supply to pressure quick transfers . Earlier this year, officers dismantled a rental scam syndicate and arrested 11 people on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud .
Key Points
- More than 60% of victims in the busted rental scam case were mainland undergraduates in Hong Kong, with average losses of HK$100,000 to HK$200,000 .
- The highest loss in that case exceeded HK$300,000, showing how quickly advance rent and deposits could escalate into major financial damage .
- In one case, scammers posing as landlords and a “licensed agent” promoted a newly renovated 350-square-foot flat at about HK$20,000 monthly rent .
- The student transferred about HK$192,000 in prepaid rent, then found the address was fictitious after arriving in Hong Kong .
- Fraudsters then blamed a website error, persuaded the victim to pay again for a supposedly better unit, and disappeared after the second transfer .
Why It Matters
The cases show how cross-border students can be exposed to concentrated risk before they even secure a place to live, especially when they must arrange housing remotely and under time pressure . For Hong Kong, the issue affects the city’s reputation as a study destination and raises the need for clearer rental guidance and stronger scrutiny of online intermediaries targeting incoming students .