Hong Kong Woman Loses HK$2.6 Million in ‘Singaporean Businessman’ Romance Scam Amid Surge in Online Fraud
Police report more than forty romance-scam cases in two weeks, losses topping HK$17 million and older victims highly vulnerable
Hong Kong’s police have announced that over forty online romance-scam cases were reported in the past two weeks, with total losses exceeding HK$17 million.
One high-profile incident involved a 52-year-old woman who lost more than HK$2.6 million after engaging in a presumed romance with a man posing as a Singapore-based businessman.
Authorities said the victim first made contact via WhatsApp with the imposter who claimed to be wealthy and invited her to invest in a hotel venture promising high returns.
Over time, the woman transferred funds into accounts controlled by the scammer before the scheme collapsed.
Police noted that more than forty-percent of victims during this period were aged over fifty.
The local law-enforcement agency posted warning alerts through its “CyberDefender” social-media platform, urging the public to remain vigilant about online relationships that rapidly shift towards investment requests, especially when the counterpart claims a foreign business identity and insists on secret financial transfers.
Experts say this wave is part of a broader escalation in romance-scam sophistication: fraudsters cultivate emotional bonds online, then steer victims into fake investment apps, cryptocurrency platforms or bogus business deals.
In Hong Kong this year, reported romance-scam cases have risen significantly, and authorities have deployed enhanced monitoring and public-education efforts to counter the trend.
As part of its preventive strategy, the police called on families to talk regularly with older relatives about online safety, flagged newly created bank accounts used for scam transfers, and advised anyone who suspects they are being solicited for investment after forming a digital relationship to stop communication immediately and seek advice.
The incident underscores that even those seeking companionship online can become targets of financial fraud, and that cross-border identities such as “Singaporean businessmen” are becoming a recurrent motif in East Asian scam patterns.
The investigation into the 52-year-old’s case remains ongoing as officers trace the flow of funds and examine whether it is part of a wider syndicate targeting Hong Kong residents.
One high-profile incident involved a 52-year-old woman who lost more than HK$2.6 million after engaging in a presumed romance with a man posing as a Singapore-based businessman.
Authorities said the victim first made contact via WhatsApp with the imposter who claimed to be wealthy and invited her to invest in a hotel venture promising high returns.
Over time, the woman transferred funds into accounts controlled by the scammer before the scheme collapsed.
Police noted that more than forty-percent of victims during this period were aged over fifty.
The local law-enforcement agency posted warning alerts through its “CyberDefender” social-media platform, urging the public to remain vigilant about online relationships that rapidly shift towards investment requests, especially when the counterpart claims a foreign business identity and insists on secret financial transfers.
Experts say this wave is part of a broader escalation in romance-scam sophistication: fraudsters cultivate emotional bonds online, then steer victims into fake investment apps, cryptocurrency platforms or bogus business deals.
In Hong Kong this year, reported romance-scam cases have risen significantly, and authorities have deployed enhanced monitoring and public-education efforts to counter the trend.
As part of its preventive strategy, the police called on families to talk regularly with older relatives about online safety, flagged newly created bank accounts used for scam transfers, and advised anyone who suspects they are being solicited for investment after forming a digital relationship to stop communication immediately and seek advice.
The incident underscores that even those seeking companionship online can become targets of financial fraud, and that cross-border identities such as “Singaporean businessmen” are becoming a recurrent motif in East Asian scam patterns.
The investigation into the 52-year-old’s case remains ongoing as officers trace the flow of funds and examine whether it is part of a wider syndicate targeting Hong Kong residents.
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