Woman arrested for currency exchange fraud

A local woman has been arrested on allegations of setting up false currency exchanges between friends, the Judiciary Police (PJ) announced yesterday.

The woman, 34 and surnamed Lai, is reportedly the owner of a local beauty parlor.

It was disclosed that the woman had told at least five customers that she could help exchange Macau Pataca for Chinese Renminbi at privileged rates. Believing her, the five customers gave her a total of MOP170,000 in the hopes of getting the equivalent amount in Renminbi back.

The woman reportedly told her customers that she could manage to achieve a 1:1 exchange rate between the two currencies. The five victims were four women and one man.

In September last year, Lai told the five people that she was in need of a large amount of Pataca, and was willing to exchange her Renminbi with them for their Pataca. The five people fell for her claims and wire transferred between MOP30,000 and MOP130,000 each to Lai’s account. They then received only a partial amount of the promised Renminbi.

Lai cited mainland’s daily bank transfer limit as the reason for not completing the transactions before eventually disappearing. The five victims then approached the police for help.

Arresting Lai on Marach 7, the police were told that the money was spent on daily consumptions and gambling.

In another case, the Public Security Police Force (PSP) arrested a woman for providing unlicensed medical services.

In the afternoon of March 8, the police saw the woman promoting mole removal services while holding a placard in Senado Square. It was advertised that MOP50 would be charged for each mole removed.

The police officers then found some tools and ointments in the woman’s bicycle. The police were told that these materials were bought in mainland China. The woman also made some ointments and claimed they were effective in removing freckles and treating lung diseases. The woman also told the police that she had worked in the industry in the mainland for six months.

Concerning a previously announced repeat in-flight theft, the Criminal Procedure Tribunal of the Court of First Instance has taken a male suspect into custody who allegedly repeatedly stole cash and other items from passengers on flights between November 2023 and March 2024.

He has been charged with aggravated theft.