Police smash a telephone deception syndicate

Police arrested two men and a woman, aged 43 - 49, suspected to be involved in a series of telephone deception cases in the territory during an operation mounted between August 17 and 19.

In view of the upsurge of telephone deception cases preying on elderly members since 2005, the Regional Crime Unit (RCU) of Kowloon East has been tasked to consolidate and investigate telephones deception cases reported in the territory.

The modus operandi of such deception cases involves conning the elderly into believing that their family members are in some kind of financial troubles by using untraceable mobile phone numbers. They are then persuaded to deposit large sums of money into the stooge bank accounts operated by members of these syndicates.

Following extensive investigations, the RCU of Kowloon East together with the Crime Unit of Wong Tai Sin District had successfully identified and arrested a 43-year-old man who is believed to be the mastermind of a deception syndicate on August 17 in Tsz Wan Shan.

Further enquiries resulted in the arrest of a 43-year-old woman on August 18 and a 49-year-old man this morning (August 19).

A number of mobile phones, prepaid SIM cards and bank deposit slips were seized during the operation. It is believed that the syndicate has been involved in a number of deception cases since May this year and the losses by the victims exceed $1 million.

In 2005, a total of 780 telephone deception cases involving losses of $16 million were reported. Up to the end of July this year, 916 cases were reported with loss amounting to $15 million.

Police remind members of the public, especially the elderly, to contact their family members or report to the Police immediately when they receive dubious telephone calls from people asking for large sums of money.


Add Police Report No. 1

Issued by PPRB

End/Saturday, August 19, 2006