Police warn public over fake gold-plated jewelry scams

The Judiciary Police (PJ) have issued a public alert following a series of fraud cases in neighboring regions involving jewelry disguised as solid gold but actually made of silver with a gold-plated surface.

The police explained that so-called “gold-wrapped silver” jewelry appears similar to genuine gold accessories but is sold at significantly lower prices. Fraudsters have reportedly used these items to deceive buyers, particularly in gold resale and pawn transactions.

Authorities advised merchants not to rely solely on visual inspection, experience, or past transaction trust when assessing gold items.

The police also reminded consumers to exercise caution when purchasing gold jewelry. Residents were advised to buy from reputable merchants with established physical stores and to be wary of strangers offering gold items at prices significantly below market value.

As international gold and silver prices surge, cases of gold and silver smuggling have recently shown an increasing trend.

During the ongoing Judiciary Police (PJ) “Winter Prevention Operation,” Macau Customs recently intercepted three cases involving the suspected illegal transportation of silver pellets at the Border Gate checkpoint.

On February 13, 14 and 19, customs officers at the departure passenger inspection area of the Border Gate checkpoint noticed two mainland Chinese residents and one Macau resident behaving nervously.

Upon inspection, officials found that the three individuals had concealed a total of approximately 5.2 kilograms of suspected silver pellets, valued at around MOP93,000, within their clothing and personal belongings in an attempt to smuggle them out.

Meanwhile, silver bar smuggling was uncovered recently, and three individuals were charged under the Foreign Trade Law. If the cases are prosecuted and convictions secured, they will face a maximum fine of MOP100,000, and the seized goods will be confiscated.

These incidents follow another recent case in which the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Customs, under the guidance of Gongbei Customs, uncovered a Guangdong-Hong Kong dual-plate passenger vehicle attempting to smuggle five silver bricks weighing a total of 148.7 kilograms.

The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) recently released a statement saying that customs officers, while monitoring the inbound passenger vehicle channel at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Zhuhai Port, noticed an anomaly in the X-ray image of a Guangdong-Hong Kong dual-plate passenger vehicle.

Upon further inspection, officers discovered five pieces of metal suspected to be silver bricks hidden in a compartment beneath the soundproofing material located between the second-row seats and the trunk.

Subsequent professional assessment confirmed the metal to be pure silver, with a content of 99.9%. The driver confessed to concealing the items for smuggling and admitted he planned to resell them within the mainland for profit.

The sustained rise in the prices of precious metals, particularly gold and silver, on the international market has led to robust demand from residents for trading these goods, creating an economic incentive that stimulates smuggling activities.

Vast profits drive criminal syndicates to utilize “ant-moving” tactics involving parallel traders or dual-plate vehicles to smuggle goods, evading regulations and taxes.

The recent successive uncovering of multiple silver smuggling cases by customs authorities on both sides reflects the increasing intensity of such activities.

Law enforcement authorities on both sides should enhance intelligence sharing and cooperation to curb increasingly rampant silver smuggling at its source, authorities said. Ricaela Diputado