Two arrested in casino prop money scam targeting woman in RMB150,000 fraud

[Photo: Renato Marques]

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two mainland Chinese men for allegedly defrauding a middle-aged woman out of nearly RMB150,000 using 300 counterfeit Hong Kong dollar notes, all of which were clearly marked as “prop money.”

The arrests, made on Friday at a casino hotel in Cotai, have prompted an ongoing investigation into the whereabouts of the stolen funds and the possible involvement of additional suspects operating on the mainland.

The two suspects, surnamed Liu, 25, an electrician, and Pan, 23, a livestream sales host, have been charged with fraud involving a particularly large amount. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecutions Office for further legal proceedings.

The victim, a non-resident woman, reported her losses to police early Saturday morning, prompting an immediate response from the PJ’s Gaming-related and Economic Crimes Investigation Department.

According to investigators, the incident began on the evening of June 25 when the victim was approached by Liu inside a Cotai casino. Liu claimed to have won HKD300,000 through gambling and offered to exchange the cash at a favorable rate, requesting that the equivalent amount in RMB be transferred to his bank account on the mainland. After some negotiation, the two parties agreed to exchange HKD300,000 for RMB260,400.

Liu then suggested that the exchange take place in the victim’s hotel room, citing security concerns. Once inside, he produced three rubber-banded stacks of HKD1,000 notes but repeatedly refused to allow the victim to count the money, insisting that she complete the fund transfer first.

The victim agreed and began making transfers in installments. However, after transferring a total of RMB148,240, she became suspicious and demanded to verify the cash before proceeding further. Liu eventually relented.

It was at that point that the victim discovered that all three stacks consisted of counterfeit notes bearing identical serial numbers. The fake currency lacked basic security features such as watermarks or reflective ink and was printed on noticeably inferior paper. Each note was explicitly marked with the words “prop money,” making the forgery easily detectable upon close inspection.

When confronted, Liu contacted Pan to come to the room. Both men claimed they were merely intermediaries acting on behalf of others and insisted they could not refund the money. The victim then lodged a formal complaint with the PJ.

A forensic examination later confirmed that the seized notes were indeed low-grade “prop money,” not high-quality counterfeits. The investigation revealed that Liu and Pan had concealed the fake notes in a backpack before bringing them into Macau from the mainland.

The pair had allegedly been instructed by an unnamed “superior” to target casino patrons seeking to convert RMB into Hong Kong dollars. Each suspect reportedly stood to receive RMB3,000 if the exchange was completed successfully.

During the operation, law enforcement seized the entire cache of 300 prop notes, the backpack used to carry them, and two mobile phones believed to have been used in the crime.

Both suspects are now in police custody, while authorities continue to trace the diverted funds and track down other individuals who may have played a role in orchestrating the scheme.

This case highlights the persistent risks associated with unregulated currency exchange transactions in Macau’s casino districts.

The investigation remains active. Further arrests have not been ruled out as authorities follow financial trails and communication records linked to the detained suspects.