Police arrest suspects in phone fraud syndicate case

The police have apprehended a telephone fraud syndicate pretending to be a government department.

The syndicate used about 3,500 local and overseas phone cards through gateway communication equipment installed in Macau, and made at least 1.74 million calls attempting to defraud people in Macau, the Judiciary Police (PJ) reported.

According to the PJ, 45 people were scammed to the tune of MOP23 million. 26 of the victims were college students. 

Two local men were suspected of assisting in the setup and maintenance of criminal tools. The PJ is still tracking down the other suspects. 

The group set up fraudulent call centers overseas and four gateway communication devices in Macau to make batch calls. The money obtained by fraud was transferred to overseas bank accounts. During the investigation, the PJ found that the calls were transmitted from a residential unit in Taipa, and two Macau men in their thirties were arrested yesterday morning. The local suspects received MOP2,000 and MOP10,000, respectively, in remuneration. The case has been referred to the prosecutions office.

Earlier this week, the PJ asked the public to stay vigilant and safeguard their personal information. In a statement, the PJ said that it has again received reports from the public concerning fraudulent SMS messages from fake courier companies. Since the pandemic has caused interruptions in delivery services, fraudsters have seized this opportunity to scam the public by sending fake SMS messages claiming that parcels cannot be delivered, and providing a link to a fake website, where victims are asked for personal information and to pay a “surcharge.” Staff Reporter