Police Bust Hotel-Based Phone Scam ‘Cat Pool’ Hub
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Police raided a hotel room in Tsuen Wan on August 28 and arrested two local men suspected of running a phone scam control centre using a multi-SIM “cat pool” device. Investigators said the syndicate was tied to at least five phone fraud cases from late August involving nearly HK$600,000, and officers also seized suspected methamphetamine from the room.
Key Points
- The Commercial Crime Bureau said the two arrested men, aged 26 and 38, were detained on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and possession of dangerous drugs.
- Police believe the hotel room operation was controlled by a triad-linked group, and one of the two suspects was reported to have a triad background
- Officers seized a “cat pool” communications device, three mobile phones, two computers and 53 SIM cards during the raid on the room.
- Investigators said the suspects bought real-name registered SIM cards from different people, then posed as insurance company or payment platform staff to pressure victims.
- In another scam pattern, victims received fake delivery-failure or online shopping messages, called a hotline, and were then induced to transfer money to designated accounts.
Why It Matters
The case shows how fraudsters can turn an ordinary hotel room into a temporary telecoms base, making scams harder to trace quickly. It also underlines the risk to residents who follow phone or text instructions involving online banking, FPS details or verification codes without independently checking the caller’s identity.