19th October 2024 – (Hong Kong) Hong Kong authorities have arrested three individuals in connection with a fraudulent virtual currency scheme that deceived a local investor out of HK$1 million. The arrests were made following a report from a 46-year-old man, who claimed he was lured into a series of transactions after connecting with someone posing as a mainland virtual currency trader through a WeChat investment group.
According to police reports, the victim engaged in four transactions valued at approximately HK$1.4 million before being directed to an office in the Kwun Tong area for a fifth transaction. Accompanied by a woman who claimed to be an intermediary, the victim handed over HK$1 million in cash along with the details of his electronic wallet in exchange for virtual currency. However, the man he dealt with reportedly instructed others to remove the cash from the premises and falsely claimed that the virtual currency had been transferred to the victim’s wallet.
Suspicious of the situation, the victim promptly reported the incident to the authorities. Police, upon arrival, arrested a 56-year-old woman and a 53-year-old man at the scene. A subsequent investigation led to the arrest of a 29-year-old man in the same district the following day. All three suspects, who share the surname Choi, have been charged with obtaining property by deception. Notably, two of the arrested men are father and son.
The suspects have been released on bail and are required to report back to law enforcement in mid-November.
