Police arrest 24-year-old in HK$100,000 phone scam raid in Tseung Kwan O
Hong Kong police arrested a 24-year-old man after one victim lost over HK$100,000 in a phone scam. Officers raided a flat in Tseung Kwan O used as a call centre, seizing SIM cards, a modem pool, phones, tablets and computers. The suspect impersonated online shopping customer service staff.
Hong Kong police have arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of operating phone scams from an apartment in Tseung Kwan O, after one victim lost more than HK$100,000, the force said on Sunday 11 October.
The arrest came after investigators traced several SIM cards registered under a company name to a series of scams in which callers impersonated online shopping customer service staff. Police raided a residential flat in Tseung Kwan O last Friday that they believed was being used as a scam call operations centre.
During the raid, officers seized multiple SIM cards, a modem pool device, several mobile phones, tablets and computers. Police said the suspect posed as customer service staff for online shopping platforms, telling victims their purchases were defective and asking them to transfer money to process refunds.
Citing excuses such as deposits, handling fees or claims that their accounts would soon be charged high annual fees, the arrestee allegedly pressured victims into transferring money to a designated account. It is understood the suspect made more than 23,000 scam calls in just one week.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue.