Ten men and two women were arrested by police over 26 scams in which they cheated about HK$1.8 million out of sellers on trading platforms and social media with cheques that could not be deposited into bank accounts. The suspects, aged 19 to 70, were arrested for obtaining property by deception during police’s Operation Tunnellight from Tuesday to Thursday (Apr 18-20). At the same time, the fraudsters would deposit an invalid cheque into the seller’s bank account to lure them into believing their deal was done. The sellers finally reported to the police after they found the cheque was fake or wouldn't clear into the bank account. Citizens are encouraged to use Scameter – the police’s one-stop scam and pitfall search engine – to check suspicious buyers' or sellers' phone numbers and social media accounts.

Source: The Standard April 21, 2023 16:52 UTC