Woman in Kwai Chung warns of alleged taxi scam
SingTao · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A woman said she became suspicious after a middle-aged man appeared to follow her into a back lane in Kwai Chung’s industrial area while she was trying to find her way back to a station after buying second-hand books. She said the man slowed down when she slowed down, then produced an identity card and asked to borrow HK$100 for a taxi, claiming his daughter had been admitted to Princess Margaret Hospital and that he had no phone or wallet. The woman refused, saying his tone did not sound urgent and that carrying only an identity card made little sense. After she shared the encounter online, commenters pointed to inconsistencies in the story and alleged the same man had approached people in the district for years.
Key Points
- The woman wrote on Threads that she got lost in Kwai Chung’s industrial area after buying second-hand books and was trying to walk back to a station.
- She said the man stayed diagonally behind her, followed her into a rear alley near an industrial building, and matched her pace when she slowed down.
- When confronted, the man showed an identity card and said his daughter was at Princess Margaret Hospital, asking to borrow HK$100 for a taxi and promising repayment the next day.
- The woman said the request felt suspicious because he claimed to have no phone or wallet, yet had an identity card, and his voice sounded calm rather than distressed.
- Commenters said the fare from Tai Lin Pai to Princess Margaret Hospital would be about HK$50, or HK$6.7 by bus route 46X, and noted visiting hours start at 5pm.
Why It Matters
The account has renewed attention on street-level “borrow money” approaches that rely on urgency, sympathy and confusion in unfamiliar areas. For Hong Kong readers, the discussion offers practical warning signs, including inconsistent travel costs, selective possession of documents and the tendency of suspected scammers to leave when police are mentioned.