Online romance scam costs woman MOP460,000

A middle-aged local woman has fallen victim to an elaborate online romance scam, losing a total of MOP460,000 after being lured into a fake investment scheme by a man posing as a Chinese military officer nearing retirement, the Judiciary Police (PJ) confirmed.

According to a complaint filed by the victim, she met the alleged soldier online in May this year, and the two subsequently developed a romantic relationship.

In June, the scammer, who identified himself as a military officer nearing retirement, claimed to have insider knowledge of a system vulnerability on a metal investment platform operated under the name “China Aerospace.”

He claimed that the vulnerability required military intervention and urged the victim to seize the opportunity for substantial financial returns.

Convinced by the story, the victim made two separate cryptocurrency purchases on June 18 and July 6, totaling MOP460,000. She transferred the funds into a virtual currency account provided by the scammer, believing the transactions were “top-ups” to her investment account.

However, by August 12, all communication with the suspect had ceased. Realizing she had been deceived, she immediately reported the case to the PJ.

Investigators have since determined that the suspect never disclosed specific profit margins to the victim, and she did not receive any returns during the supposed investment period.

The PJ has launched a full investigation to trace the identity of the fraudster and the movement of the illicit funds. No arrests have been made, and the case remains under investigation.

In a separate operation, Public Security Police (PSP) officers arrested a mainland Chinese man on August 18 for allegedly conducting unauthorized currency exchange activities near the ZAPE district.

The suspect, identified as Chan, is in his twenties and holds a mainland travel permit. He stated that he is currently unemployed.

Authorities seized HKD24,400 in cash from him, which was suspected to be linked to illegal exchange transactions. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office on charges of “illegal currency exchange for gambling purposes.”

The arrest took place during routine anti-crime patrols along Av. 24 de Junho in ZAPE. Officers observed Chan loitering in the area and repeatedly approaching pedestrians in a manner consistent with soliciting currency exchange services. Their attention was drawn when Chan engaged with a mainland Chinese woman approximately 40 years old, in what appeared to be a financial transaction.

Police intervened immediately. During questioning, Chan admitted to arriving in Macau specifically to engage in illegal exchange services. He said that he had agreed to convert HKD9,000 into RMB7,740 for the female suspect.

Officers intercepted the pair just as the transfer was about to be completed. Following the initial seizure, authorities discovered an additional HKD15,400 in Chan’s personal belongings, which was also believed to be connected to his unlicensed exchange activities.

Authorities have urged the public to exercise caution when engaging in online relationships involving financial solicitations and to conduct currency exchanges only through licensed financial institutions to avoid legal consequences.