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Officers of Technology Crime Division, Commercial Crime Bureau conducted an operation on May 22 and 23 in the territory and arrested two men and three women, aged 19 to 25, for obtaining property by deception. It is believed that Police have successfully neutralized an Internet fraud syndicate.
Officers of Technology Crime Division found that messages were posted on the Internet discussion forums offering full time or part time jobs. Once the victims indicated their interest to the job, the swindler would contact them through mobile phones and made them believe that they worked as ¡§secret customers¡¨. They were then arranged to borrow money from different financial institutions for the purpose of evaluating their service quality. The recruited ¡§secret customers¡¨ were required to use their genuine identities to apply for loans from various financial institutions. Once they passed the money borrowed to the swindlers, they lost contact with the swindlers.
Initial investigation revealed that there were seven victims, aged 18 to 25, since January 2011 with a total loss of about $249,000. Some personal computers, mobile phones and bank records of the arrested persons were also seized during the operation for further investigation.
The five persons are being detained for further enquiries and the operation is still on-going.
Police remind young people not to disclose personal information on the Internet or readily believe in job advertisements or messages without verification. Before going for an interview, they should find out the background of the company, its business nature and venue of work. Young people should pay attention to their personal safety and may request an adult or a reliable person to accompany them for interview if there is any doubt about the meeting place.
Police Report No. 21
Ends/Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:23
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