PJ warns of MPay QR code scams after 36 residents lose MOP240,000

The Judiciary Police (PJ) have issued an alert over a wave of QR code-related refund scams involving MPay, cautioning that 36 residents are believed to have been duped in the past seven days, with aggregate losses amounting to more than MOP240,000.

The police have identified two main tactics used in the QR code fraud scheme. In the first, scammers set up fake social media pages impersonating local businesses such as travel agencies and sportswear shops on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, advertising cut-price deals on buffet vouchers, air tickets or air-conditioning cleaning services.

Interested residents are asked to transfer a small deposit, after which the fraudsters claim the offer is no longer available and request that victims scan a QR code to obtain a refund. In the second, victims are told they need not make any payment but must scan a specific QR code to link their MPay account to complete a booking.

Once the QR code is scanned, the victim’s e-wallet becomes linked to a third-party platform, enabling the scammers to make unauthorized purchases and convert the funds into cash.

According to police figures, the 36 victims comprise four young adults, 29 middle-aged individuals and three senior citizens, suffering combined losses of more than MOP240,000 – with the largest single loss recorded at MOP37,000 and the smallest at MOP428.

In its public advisory, the police stressed the importance of setting appropriate deduction ceilings for third-party applications in accordance with individual consumption behavior, while strongly discouraging the scanning of unverified QR codes or the linking of unknown apps. Residents were also advised to consult physical merchants offline to authenticate goods before proceeding with online transactions.

As an added protective measure, the police announced that, effective immediately, a mandatory warning prompt will appear whenever an MPay e-wallet is linked to a third-party shopping platform, ensuring users are explicitly notified of the action in order to minimize their exposure to fraudulent activities.

Couple arrested over HKD119,500 casino chip theft

A mainland Chinese couple has been arrested for allegedly stealing HKD119,500 worth of casino chips from a roommate at an illegal accommodation, the PJ said in a press conference.

The suspects, a 40-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man, lived with the victim at a rooftop unit in a North District tenement building. The victim had rented a bed space there for HKD1,500 per month since early July.

Police said the victim left a bag containing the chips in the bathroom early Saturday morning (July 11) and later discovered the chips missing. Investigators intercepted the couple at a Cotai casino, where the woman allegedly handed the stolen chips to the man to exchange for cash. Police recovered HKD110,000 worth of gold jewelry, HKD17,000 in chips, HKD600 in cash and a mobile phone.

PJ said the rooftop unit showed signs of operating as an illegal guesthouse and the case has been referred to the Macao Government Tourism Office for follow-up.