A 52-year-old mainland man was arrested in the central district after robbing a female money changer in a hotel room Sunday afternoon, Sept. 1.
The suspect allegedly threatened the victim with scissors, bound her with tape, and stole MOP402,000.
According to authorities in a press conference yesterday, the robbery unfolded when the suspect arranged to meet the victim at a hotel to exchange HKD300,000 in gaming chips.
Upon her arrival, he brandished a pair of scissors at her, tied her up, and fled with MOP152,000 in cash and HKD250,000 in chips. The victim managed to free herself after half an hour and alerted hotel staff, who then contacted the police.
After the robbery, the suspect turned himself in at the police station.
The investigation revealed this was not the first encounter between the suspect and the victim. They had previously engaged in illegal currency exchanges on three separate occasions.
The case has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office for further action.
Students scammed
Four male university students from Macau were scammed out of approximately MOP250,000.
One victim received a phone call Aug. 20 from someone impersonating an official from the “Mainland Public Security Bureau.” The caller claimed the victim was involved in fraud and requested cooperation in a purported investigation.
Believing the scam, the victim provided personal information, including his bank account password, and was instructed to check into a hotel for “safety.”
After a week (Aug. 21-28), he discovered over MOP130,000 had been withdrawn from his account.
Following discussions with his family, he reported the incident to the police, who confirmed the fraud techniques used were similar to those experienced by the other three victims.
Elderly man targeted
A 61-year-old mainland woman was arrested for allegedly stealing HKD150,000 from an elderly man in a hotel room in the ZAPE area.
Police reported the woman had overstayed her visa in Macau for over three years and had a prior relationship with the victim, having shared hotel rooms with him on multiple occasions.
The incident occurred when the victim traveled to Macau in late August.
After spending time gambling together, he left the room, only to return and find his cash missing from the room’s safe.
Following an investigation, police intercepted the woman in another hotel room and recovered the stolen money, some of which had been converted into gaming chips.
The woman confessed, stating she had learned the victim’s password during their previous stays. Nadia Shaw
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