University students fall victim to fraud, lose tens of thousands

Several university students lost money to scammers in telephone frauds, with one of them losing over 220,000 Chinese yuan, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced this week.

On Feb. 19, the 21-year-old female victim from mainland China reported her case to the police.

According to her, at 4:53 p.m. on the previous day, she got a call on her cellphone from a purported male official with the Guangzhou Communication Administration Bureau, who claimed that her credit card data had allegedly been abused. She was requested to make a trip to the city to handle the matter.

Since she could not do so, her call was then transferred to the purported Shanghai Police Bureau, from which another purported official requested to collect a video statement from her. The alleged police officer told her that her bank account was found to be connected to a money laundering case, but the victim denied holding the bank account.

The so-called police officer then suggested her personal data was being misused and asked her to make a declaration. She was also asked to transfer 225,9000 yuan to several designated accounts, which she did. Following this, she realized that she might have been scammed.

In another case, a local 20-year-old male university student reported that at 9 a.m., Feb. 17, a purported courier company officer called his cellphone and claimed that he had mailed several Chinese travel documents and bank cards in a parcel. He was then told that he was suspected of laundering money.

When he objected to the claim, saying that he had not sent the parcel, he was told by the person that his personal information might have been stolen and misused. The supposed courier officer urged the victim to contact the police and put him through to the purported Shanghai Police Bureau.

Then, a purported police officer requested his personal data, including his Macau ID number, for verification purposes. The same person told him that he was found to be connected to a money laundering case and would be arrested.

The victim became scared and produced his account and his Visa card numbers to the so-called officer, who claimed these would help clear his name.

Later that night, he mentioned what happened to his parents, who subsequently concluded he had fallen victim to a scam. Therefore, he suspended the bank account and Visa card, and reported the case to the police.

Another victim, a local 23-year-old female university student, reported that at 6:58pm on Feb. 19, she got a message from the Facebook account of her secondary school teacher, who asked her for her phone number for a lucky draw event.

Later, the so-called teacher asked her for a one-time password she received on her phone so as to participate in the event.

Telling her about winning HKD2,000, the purported teacher requested her credit card details for prize collection. She surrendered the details without suspicion, before obtaining and surrendering a one-time password on her phone.

At 7:45 p.m. the same day, she was notified of a transaction worth 17.13 million Indonesian Rupiah, equivalent to MOP9,130. After suspending the card, she went to the police station.

In the last case, a local 20-year-old female student was digitally stalked by a scammer claiming to be a mainland officer in contact with her over suspicions of a personal data leak. She lost no money.