Fraudster posing as fire officer targets clinic in wheelchair deposit scam
A fraudster claiming to be a Fire Station Officer tricked a Hong Kong physiotherapy clinic into booking six appointments, then demanded a deposit for electric wheelchairs. The clinic staff became suspicious, checked online and avoided loss. Police urge businesses to verify callers and avoid paying d
A scam involving fake orders has resurfaced in Hong Kong, with a fraudster posing as a Fire Station Officer to target a physiotherapy clinic. A clinic staff member posted on Threads on Tuesday that they had received a call from a man claiming to be a 'Fire Station Officer,' who said several colleagues were injured and needed treatment, booking six appointments at once.
Before the first appointment on Tuesday, the man called to say he urgently needed 20 electric wheelchairs and asked the clinic to pay a deposit on his behalf to a designated 'medical company.' The staff member became suspicious and checked online, discovering the supplier's name had previously been used in scams. They refused to transfer the money and avoided a loss. The six booked appointments all failed to show up. The poster criticised the scammer for not only attempting fraud but also occupying appointment slots needed by genuine patients, urging the public to stay alert.
Similar scams have occurred before. In January last year, fraudsters posing as Macau fire department personnel called two car repair shops, claiming the department urgently needed to replace more than ten tyres and that the 'original supplier had fallen out with the director,' asking the shops to order on their behalf and promising they could keep the difference. The shops received fake transfer screenshots, believed them and transferred money to the designated supplier, only realising it was a scam when asked to buy more tyres. The two shops lost over HK$270,000 in total.
The Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre has urged businesses not to be blinded by profits from large orders and not to pay deposits easily. They should verify callers' identities by searching for the organisation's contact number on official websites, check suspicious information on the Scameter website or app, and call the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 if in doubt.