Fake courier refund scam drains victim of HK$1 million
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police have warned of a refund scam in which fraudsters pretend to be staff from a logistics company and claim a parcel was damaged, then shift the conversation to WhatsApp to arrange compensation. The case escalated when the victim was persuaded to install an unknown Android application, enable near-field communication on a mobile phone, and place a credit card against the device, leading to repeated overseas card transactions and losses of more than HK$1 million.
Key Points
- Police said fake logistics company staff first called the victim, claimed goods were damaged, and asked the person to contact “customer service” on WhatsApp for a refund.
- The bogus customer service agent asked for a payment collection QR code, then falsely said it was invalid and claimed the logistics company had insurance coverage.
- Fraudsters then sent an unknown link to a fake website, where the victim was asked for personal information and the last four digits of a phone number.
- After sending a forged compensation approval document, the scammers provided an APK file and told the victim to download and open the app for the refund process.
- Once NFC was enabled and the credit card was placed against the phone, the scammers used an electronic payment terminal function to remotely make overseas transactions until the card limit was exhausted.
Why It Matters
The case shows how scammers are combining fake refund claims, malicious mobile apps and contactless payment functions to turn a phone into a tool for stealing card data and spending remotely. Police urged the public not to click suspicious links, not to install apps outside official channels, and to call the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 immediately if in doubt.