Six arrested in Hong Kong phone scams targeting elderly women
Hong Kong police arrested six men, including a 14-year-old, over phone scams that defrauded three elderly women living alone of HK$270,000 in cash and gold. The suspects, with triad links, face conspiracy to defraud charges in court on Friday.
Hong Kong police have arrested six men, including a 14-year-old boy, in connection with phone scams that defrauded three elderly women living alone of a combined HK$270,000 in cash and gold.
The scams came to police attention last month during a separate criminal investigation, when officers arrested the 14-year-old on suspicion of acting as a runner for the scammers. Investigators said the fraudsters convinced the women that their sons had been arrested and needed bail or legal fees, then sent the boy to collect the cash and gold.
An in-depth investigation found the collections took place in Hung Hom, To Kwa Wan and Wong Tai Sin between last Monday and Tuesday. The three victims, aged 79 to 89 and all living alone, lost a total of HK$270,000. The boy reportedly passed on proceeds from two collections but kept HK$17,000 in cash and four pieces of gold ornaments from the third victim.
In an operation running from Thursday last week to Wednesday, police arrested five more local men, described as students, waiters or unemployed, all with triad backgrounds. The men are suspected of acting as money collectors, points of contact and lookouts in the scams. Officers also seized clothing and mobile phones from the suspects and recovered part of the money.
All six arrestees are currently in police custody and will be charged with conspiracy to defraud. Their cases will be heard in Kowloon City Magistrates' Court on Friday.
