Online shopping scams hit 230 cases in one week
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong saw 230 online shopping scam cases in a single week, with total losses reaching HK$8 million. In one case, a fraudster allegedly posed as both a buyer and a seller, luring two victims into a face-to-face mobile phone transaction that ended with nearly HK$30,000 transferred to the scammer
Key Points
- The scammer first posed as a buyer on a second-hand trading platform and approached Victim 1, who was selling three mobile phones
- The same person then posed as a seller on an online phone-buying platform and told Victim 2 that mobile phones were available for sale
- After bargaining was completed, the fraudster arranged for the two victims to meet in person for the handover of the phones
- The scammer instructed Victim 2 to transfer payment to a designated personal Faster Payment System account after receiving the phones
- Victim 1 realized no payment had been received and questioned Victim 2, after which both discovered they had been cheated out of nearly HK$30,000
Why It Matters
The case shows that even face-to-face transactions can be manipulated when buyers and sellers do not verify account details and payment status on the spot. Police anti-scam advice urges users to check platform records and reviews, avoid transferring money to unknown personal accounts, and confirm available balance before treating a transfer as complete