Two women arrested in alleged Macau scam network

The Judiciary Police (PJ) has arrested two Hong Kong women suspected of fraudulently collecting money for a criminal syndicate, authorities said yesterday. The arrests come after two elderly people reported losing around MOP150,000 to a recent scam, according to officials.

In the first reported incident Wednesday, a woman received a call from someone claiming to be her son-in-law. He told her he had been arrested for injuring someone and needed MOP100,000 for compensation.

She believed him and handed over the money. The caller continued demanding more funds for alleged medical expenses until the victim contacted her actual son-in-law and learned of the scam, police said.

As the victim prepared a second payment, police intervened and intercepted the two female suspects. They recovered all the stolen funds. One suspect admitted to being hired to collect the money in Macau, after which she would receive MOP18,000, officials said.

Investigators also discovered another elderly person had been defrauded of MOP50,000 in the same scam.

To address the rise in telecommunications fraud cases, the PJ has been cooperating with local educational institutions to organize special lectures for faculty members on fraud prevention.

In recent years, telecommunications fraud has increased significantly in Macau, with many victims being students and some teachers, according to the Judiciary Police. To enhance anti-fraud education, officers gave special lectures to over 1,370 faculty members at 12 higher education institutions and primary/secondary schools from February to April.

The presentations warned of the latest scam tactics like impersonating government officials and discussed investigation techniques.

Divisional police encouraged teachers to share the information to help students avoid falling prey to scams. Officers pledged continued collaboration with communities to optimize anti-fraud messaging and build a society with universal anti-fraud awareness. Staff Reporter