A 66-year-old Sau Mau Ping resident transferred HK$2.7 million to accounts designated by callers posing an investigation, before contacting police.
A 66-year-old woman in Hong Kong lost about HK$2.7 million after a caller convinced her that her bank account was tied to money laundering, local media reported. The woman, who lives in Sau Mau Ping, was told that her account, which she had used to buy insurance online, was under investigation and that she needed to move funds to designated accounts to help clear the matter.
According to Mint, she first transferred HK$2 million and then sent another HK$700,000 before growing suspicious. She later contacted police, who registered the case as deception. No arrests had been reported when the story was published.
The case fits a pattern repeatedly flagged by Hong Kong authorities, who warn that scammers often pose as bank staff or law-enforcement officers and pressure victims into making transfers for supposed investigations or account protection. The Hong Kong Police Force’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre says its 18222 helpline is available around the clock for people seeking advice on suspicious calls, while the city’s Independent Commission Against Corruption has cautioned that it will never ask members of the public to open accounts or transfer money for investigative purposes.
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