Retired woman loses HK$2.9 million in romance scam
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A 71-year-old retired woman was defrauded of nearly HK$2.9 million after she developed an online relationship with a man she met on Facebook who claimed to work for a power company. After gaining her trust, he steered her into a bogus investment app tied to a supposed Singapore waste-recycling project, then separately asked for money for bail and legal fees after claiming he had been arrested in Singapore.
Key Points
- Police said at least 18 online romance scam cases were reported in the past week, with total losses of nearly HK$7.8 million.
- The victim, a 71-year-old retiree, met a 60-year-old man on Facebook who said he was a power company employee, and their relationship remained entirely online.
- After winning her confidence, the man introduced a supposedly guaranteed-profit Singapore waste-recycling investment and told her to download a fake investment platform app.
- Although the platform showed rising returns, customer service blocked withdrawals with various excuses while the man claimed he was under arrest in Singapore for money laundering.
- The woman emptied her savings and borrowed from friends and finance companies, making 17 transfers totaling nearly HK$2.9 million, including cash deposits into a designated crypto wallet.
Why It Matters
The case shows how romance scams can be combined with fake investment platforms and emergency-payment stories to pressure victims into repeated transfers before they realise anything is wrong. For Hong Kong readers, the warning signs cited by police are consistent: no in-person meeting, demands to download unknown apps, requests for advance fees, and pressure to move money quickly through online channels or cryptocurrency shops.