Young resident victim of online crime after threat over FB account

Facebook‘s „like“ symbol at the entrance to the company‘s campus in Menlo Park, Calif.

Facebook‘s „like“ symbol at the entrance to the company‘s campus in Menlo Park, Calif.

A 21-year-old Macau resident fell into an internet trap, when she agreed to share personal information upon receiving a message stating that her Facebook account would be deactivated if she did not provide specific information. The victim ended up being swindled out of MOP5,204, allegedly sharing credit card details, the Judiciary Police (PJ) told a press conference yesterday.
Police authorities said that the girl claimed to have received a text message last week stating that her Facebook account would be blocked if she did not provide her personal details.
The victim later received a transaction notice from her bank stating that she had purchased items totaling MOP5,204. Upon calling her bank she realized that someone else had accessed her account and purchased the items. She then reported the case to the relevant authorities.
PJ yesterday revealed another case in which a Macau resident, aged 24, was swindled out of RMB129,000 after falling for yet another scam. On January 19, the victim received a call on his Chinese phone number from an alleged employee of China Telecom. The person stated the Macau resident was found to have been involved in illegal financial activities in the city of Huhan in the mainland.
The offender then said they would transfer the call to the police in Huhan. The person on the other line pretended to be a police officer and requested the Macau resident withdraw money in Macau and take it to Gongbei, so that the authorities could confirm whether or not he had been involved in illegal financial activities.
The victim agreed to take money to Gongbei and would later receive another phone call requesting him to open three bank accounts in Gongbei, deposit the money and then transfer it to a designated bank account.
The victim was told over the phone the bank account to which he should send the money, but never took note of it. Later, the Macau resident suspected that he might have been a victim of a scam and reported the case to authorities.
However, police said they were not yet able to solve the case.
Meanwhile, the PJ said they have arrested a 44-year-old Macau resident who worked as a casino dealer under the charges of threat, coercion, kidnapping and usury. She had loaned a total of HKD150,000 to the victim after he lost all his money gambling.
The suspect asked a friend to block the victim’s house with a barbecue spit and put glue on the door’s lock, which may constitute kidnapping.  His family was also trapped inside.

Man apprehended for streaking

Last night, footage started circulating online of a man being apprehended at the Border Gate checkpoint after streaking. The 26-second-long video clip showed three Public Security Police officers holding a naked man on the ground inside the departure lounge. The officers ordered the man not to move and asked passersby to stop taking pictures and move away. The PSP later released a statement confirming that the incident took place at around 7.12 p.m., when the man entered the departure lounge naked. Information suggested that he was around 18 years old and has a history of mental illness. The authority has sent the man to hospital for treatment and notified his parents. It is said that the incident did not significantly affect order in the checkpoint.

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