MOP217,000 lost to ‘police officer’ falsely claiming national security breach

A resident lost MOP217,000 to a scammer posing as a “Judiciary Police officer” who spoke Cantonese, accurately stated the victim’s full name, and alleged a National Security Law violation, police said. The victim was instructed to make a WhatsApp video call with a fake Mandarin-speaking officer in police uniform, who accused the victim of using a registered phone number to post “false political remarks.” The scammer demanded “online case handling,” regular updates on the victim’s whereabouts, and a transfer to a designated account for “review.”