A Hong Kong woman was defrauded of HK$7.1 million in a virtual currency investment scam

Hong Kong police received a report from a 46-year-old local woman last Tuesday (12th), saying that she had earlier received an Instagram text message recommending her to invest in virtual currencies through a website. The reporter then followed the instructions to create an account on the website, and transferred a total of approximately HK$7.1 million 25 times from August 19, 2022 to March 4, 2023, to 15 local bank accounts designated by the other party for investment. Nothing was received in return. The reporter subsequently failed to withdraw money through the website and was unable to contact the relevant persons. He suspected that he had been deceived and reported the crime. The victim’s losses in the case were worth approximately HK$7.1 million. After preliminary investigation, the case was listed as obtaining property by deception and was handed over to the Third Team of the Western District Criminal Investigation Team for follow-up. No one has been arrested yet. The police reiterated that anyone who violates Article 12 of the "Theft Ordinance", Chapter 210 of the Laws of Hong Kong, "obtaining property by deception" will be punished with a maximum penalty of ten years' imprisonment. Members of the public must not defy the law. (Sing Tao Headlines)