Hong Kong duo detained in casino VIP room scam

[Photo; Nadia Shaw]

The Judiciary Police (PJ) apprehended a Hong Kong couple earlier this week on suspicion of orchestrating an “extremely large-scale fraud” involving forged documents, defrauding a non-resident man of approximately HKD24 million through a fake casino VIP room investment scheme.

The two detained suspects were identified as Luo, a 69-year-old man, and Yang, a 48-year-old woman, both Hong Kong residents. The duo met the victim several years ago while visiting Macau.

Posing as operators of a Hong Kong-registered company partnered with a casino in the NAPE district, they promised 3% monthly returns on investments, according to PJ spokesman Leng Kam Lon.

“They repeatedly urged the victim to invest in a VIP room at a NAPE-area casino,” Leng said in a press conference yesterday. To build trust, the pair presented forged documents bearing a casino’s name, company seals, and signatures, convincing the victim he held ownership rights.

The scam began with an initial RMB8.4 million deposit into a designated account. Persuaded to invest more, the victim ultimately contributed over HKD28 million. He received about HKD4 million in purported returns early on, but payments halted in April 2024, leaving the victim with a net loss of HKD24 million.

According to Leng, PJ investigations found no business ties between the suspects’ company and any Macau casino.

Investigators also spotted discrepancies in the format and font sizes of documents provided to the victim, confirming forgery in the fraud scheme.

The PJ arrested the two suspects Wednesday as they attempted to re-enter Macau at the Border Gate. Since their arrest, the detainees have refused to cooperate with questioning.

The PJ are tracing the whereabouts of the defrauded funds, with the case pending further investigation.