Paralegals among 16 people arrested over ‘crash-for-cash’ scams in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Police have arrested 16 more people, including paralegals, over traffic accident compensation claims worth more than HK$3.6 million (US$459,290) tied to a wave of “crash-for-cash” scams.The suspects, 11 men and five women aged 28 to 65, included three paralegals at a law firm in Mong Kok that was raided last month, the force said on Thursday.The other suspects were the claimants and worked in a variety of jobs, including IT technician, beautician, logistics worker, tutor, property management worker and electrician.The 16 suspects were arrested over 11 insurance claims totalling HK$3.6 million, all originating from the same law firm, according to police.In one case, an IT technician claimed about a month of sick leave after a traffic accident that did not involve any collision.“Investigations found that the person continued to go to work during the sick leave period, receiving HK$60,000 in salary, but he had claimed to an insurance company that he had lost over HK$100,000 of income,” Superintendent Charles Fung Pui-kei of the commercial crime bureau said.