An unidentified elderly woman lived in a building in Peak District, one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious neighborhoods, and was – unsurprisingly – consciously targeted. Watchman. The investigators pretended to be Chinese security agents, telling her that she was the victim of fraud in a serious criminal case in mainland China.
The cheaters made her transfer money to a “secure” bank account, where they monitor her books. A few days later, someone came to hand her a cell phone and SIM card to contact the fake security agents. 11 transfers and five months later I lost 250 million Hong Kong dollars (just over 26.8 million euros).
The deception only ended when one of the maids smelled of danger. He called the woman’s daughter, who reported to the police. After an investigation, a 19-year-old was arrested on fraud charges and released on bail.
Few other places have as many billionaires huddled together as in Hong Kong. Many of them are elderly, which makes them vulnerable to fraudsters. Especially for phishing scammers, as they are on the increase. In the first quarter of 2021, they looted a total of about 350 million Hong Kong dollars (37.4 million euros) – an increase of 18%.
