January 07, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By Our Correspondent<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thirty-one individuals have been apprehended in relation to a dating scam that utilized deepfake technology to entice victims into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrencies, resulting in the theft of over HK$34 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities have also captured the alleged leader of the operation. Among those detained, whose ages range from 20 to 34, many are reported to be unemployed or students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five individuals, including the mastermind, a manager of two fraud centers located in Kowloon Bay, and three key associates, are scheduled to appear before the Eastern Magistrates’ Court, facing charges of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The remaining suspects have been granted bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to sources, one of the individuals arrested is a footballer from the Hong Kong Premier League, who played a significant role in engaging with victims online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senior Superintendent Fanny Kung Hing-fun of the Commercial Crime Bureau stated that law enforcement targeted two fraud centers in Kowloon Bay last Thursday and Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the operations, multiple smartphones and computers were confiscated, along with “scripts” detailing the scam, a substantial collection of luxury items, a Ferrari, and over HK$10 million in cash.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The suspects rented two apartments in adjacent industrial buildings to serve as fraud centers, aiming to mitigate risk and enhance security,” Hung explained. “We also observed that these centers operated in two shifts to maximize victim engagement around the clock.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The centers were designed with an open-office layout, resembling corporate environments, and employed the slogan “making fast money” to attract young recruits, including university students, Hung noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The syndicate provided these young individuals with comprehensive training and instructions, advising them to create fake profiles on dating applications, present themselves as attractive, and portray a lavish lifestyle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They would engage in conversations with prospective victims following predetermined scripts. For instance: “I was unfamiliar with how to properly enjoy red wine, but after spending time with my superiors in the cryptocurrency social scene, I have gained some knowledge, haha!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once a romantic rapport was established with the victims, they would conduct video calls utilizing deepfake face-swapping technology to entice them into investing in cryptocurrencies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Superintendent Charles Fung Pui-kei from the Commercial Crime Bureau’s fraud division indicated that individuals often fall prey to these schemes after being promised significant returns within a short timeframe. After the targets invest substantial amounts in the fraudulent platforms, the scammers would promptly sever all communication with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The victims would slowly realize that they were unable to withdraw their invested cryptocurrencies, ultimately resulting in a total loss of their funds,” Fung stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that the victims predominantly reside overseas, including in Taiwan and East Asia, and that law enforcement would collaborate with Interpol to reach out to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fung mentioned that the syndicate would store the proceeds from the scams in safety deposit boxes at their operation centers or utilize some of the funds to purchase luxury items, asserting that the syndicate has likely been active for at least a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Authorities also confiscated notice boards from the centers, where some members of the syndicate had written their personal objectives for 2025, such as accumulating HK$10 million in assets or aiming to find a “victim” each day who would part with more than US$10,000 (HK$78,000).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
January 07, 2025 By Our Correspondent Thirty-one individuals have been apprehended in relation to a dating scam that utilized deepfake technology to entice victims into investing in fraudulent cryptocurrencies, resulting in the theft of over HK$34 million. Authorities have also captured the alleged leader of the operation. Among those detained, whose ages range from 20 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":6937,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6978","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"yoast_head":"\n