Hong Kong man loses HK$684,000 in dating scam
HK01 · 2 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Police in Hong Kong said a 33-year-old local man lost more than HK$684,000 after he was lured from a paid dating website to Telegram and persuaded to pay for so-called voting tasks in exchange for a “free date voucher”. The victim transferred money repeatedly over six days before the fraudsters disappeared, and only realised he had been scammed after police contacted him proactively.
Key Points
- Police said on September 16 that more than 20 online compensated-dating scam reports were received in the past week, involving total losses of more than HK$1 million.
- The 33-year-old local man began the process in August after browsing a paid dating website and clicking a link that redirected him to Telegram.
- A scammer posing as a service agent sent him an unknown link and claimed paid “voting tasks” would unlock a “free date voucher”.
- From August 13 to August 18, he made seven transfers totalling more than HK$684,000 to two Faster Payment System accounts and four local bank accounts.
- During the tasks, the website repeatedly showed “procedure” or “step” errors, and each restart required a larger payment, while the scammer promised all money would be refunded after completion.
Why It Matters
The case shows how fraudsters are combining dating lures, Telegram contact and fake task-based payment demands to keep victims sending larger sums before cutting off contact. Police are urging the public not to click unknown links, download suspicious apps, trust “free” online offers, and to use the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 or the Scameter app if in doubt.