The Judiciary Police (PJ) stopped a woman from losing three million patacas in a “fake police” scam, PJ IT Crimes Division Supervisor Lao Kuok Cheong said during a special press conference yesterday.
According to Lao, during an anti-fraud awareness campaign held from March 6 to last Thursday, a female visitor from the Chinese mainland arrived at the event intending to receive a gift.
While answering questions related to fraud prevention, her hesitant responses raised the suspicion of the officers present, according to Lao, adding that with her consent, PJ officers examined her smartphone and discovered multiple fraudulent documents, including a forged detention warrant and overseas enrolment certificate.
After PJ officers patiently explained the situation, Lao said that the victim realised she had been deceived and immediately halted her plans to transfer funds to the scammers.
Lao said that in early November, the victim had received a phone call from someone claiming to be from the local Immigration Department, alleging her involvement in a fraud case, adding that the call was subsequently transferred to a scammer impersonating police and prosecutors in the Chinese mainland.
Believing the ruse to be genuine, Lao said that the victim followed their instructions to participate in an “online investigation”, adding that the scammers provided the woman with fake overseas enrolment certificate, which the victim then used to repeatedly ask her parents to get the equivalent of 3 million patacas in total from them.
Lao said that it was not until the anti-fraud promotion event that the victim realised she had been deceived and immediately halted her plans to transfer the funds.
The Judiciary Police urged the public to remain vigilant against scams involving individuals impersonating government agencies.
Lao urged all those who receive a suspicious call, to hang up immediately and seek assistance from the police.
Judiciary Police (PJ) IT Crimes Division Supervisor Lao Kuok Cheong looks on before yesterday’s anti-scam presentation at the PJ headquarters in Zape. – Photo: Armindo Neves
