A local woman fell victim to a “fake police” scam, resulting in a loss of 151,600 patacas, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou said during a regular press conference yesterday.
According to Lei, the young victim received a call last Wednesday morning, in which a Putonghua-speaking man claiming to be an officer of the Shanghai Anti-Fraud Centre told her that a phone number registered in her name in Shanghai was found to have been involved in sending out a large number of fraudulent messages, defrauding a number of victims, therefore requiring her to report the “case” to the police in the mainland. The “officer” then purportedly connected the phone to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which was answered by a man who identified himself as “Police Officer Chen”.
“Police Officer Chen” then told the victim that it had been confirmed that she was related to a fraud gang, showing her via a video call several “documents” including purported detention orders and wanted notices with her personal details. The “police officer” required the victim to download a FaceTime mobile app, after which the “officer” claimed that he had created a group chat using the software. On the platform the victim was told by a male “judge” surnamed Yang that the police officers had identified more than 300 suspects, including her, in the case, adding that an investigation showed that she had sold her personal data for more than 100,000 patacas, requiring the victim to divulge her bank account details on a purported website of the “Shanghai Court” for “further investigation”.
The victim did not report the case to the Judiciary Police until last Thursday afternoon, Lei said, adding that the victim reported a loss of 151,600 patacas, of which 100,000 patacas was borrowed from her mother.
The victim told the police that she finally realised that she had fallen for a scam after she was told to appear in a “court trial” in a video call during which she was unable to see the “judge”.
Judicary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference at a Public Security Police (PSP) press room in Zape.
– Photo: Yuki Lei
