Hong Kong woman loses HK$69m to scammers posing as mainland Chinese officials

A 43-year-old Hong Kong woman lost nearly HK$69 million (US$8.8 million) to scammers over a month. The fraudsters, posing as mainland Chinese law enforcement officers, contacted the victim by phone, accusing her of a crime and demanding money to prove her innocence. Between July 2 and August 1, she transferred approximately HK$68.9 million to designated bank accounts in multiple transactions. The victim reported the incident to the police on Wednesday after growing suspicious. The Western district crime squad is investigating, and no arrests have been made. This type of fake-official phone scam is a prevalent form of financial deception in Hong Kong.