Police bust scam ring using Malaysians as cash runners
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police said they dismantled a fraud syndicate after tracing a series of arrests involving Malaysian nationals who had entered the city as tourists but were allegedly collecting scam money. Officers arrested 14 men and three women, seized HK$3.67 million in cash, and said the group had received as much as HK$4.67 million from June 4 to August 14
Key Points
- Acting Senior Superintendent Tong Chak-yan of Kowloon West said the operation, codenamed “Flash Raid”, led to 17 arrests aged 20 to 54, including 13 Malaysians and four Hong Kong residents
- Police said the syndicate recruited Malaysians overseas through different channels, arranged flights and accommodation, and sent them to Hong Kong to act as cash runners in phone scams
- Victims, mainly elderly people, were called by fraudsters posing as relatives who claimed to have been arrested and urgently needed bail money from family members
- Investigators reviewed extensive CCTV footage and linked three Mong Kok locations to the group, including a virtual-asset exchange centre and money changers used as transfer and storage points
- On August 14, detectives saw a runner hand over scam proceeds to a virtual-asset exchange centre, then arrested suspects and searched three sites, recovering HK$3.67 million in cash
Why It Matters
Police said some money changers and virtual-currency exchange shops were used to process or move scam proceeds, raising pressure on such businesses to scrutinise customers, transaction purposes and fund sources more closely. The case also underlines the continued risk to elderly residents from fake-relative and fake-bail scams, even when victims believe they are dealing with law enforcement