2 Hong Kong teens among 80 conned over 4 weeks in compensated dating scams

Two teenage schoolboys were among more than 80 Hongkongers who lost a combined HK$3.7 million (US$471,400) over four weeks in July, after they were deceived into making upfront payments for sex or companionship in a series of compensated dating scams.

The force said the boys, aged 13 and 14, were duped into paying a total of HK$5,500 to meet “dates” they had contacted via Instagram or dating apps, but the encounters never materialised.

Police also revealed that nearly 20 per cent of the victims were under the age of 20. The force posted a public warning on its CyberDefender Facebook page on Monday, urging extra caution – particularly among students during the summer holidays – when meeting people online.

Compensated dating scams typically target individuals willing to pay for companionship, which often includes sexual services.

Hong Kong recorded 2,029 reports of compensated dating-related scams involving losses of HK$100 million last year, and 2,136 cases with HK$113 million in losses in 2023.

The 13-year-old boy in one of the latest cases was a Form Two student who tried to make new friends on Instagram. He was conned into transferring HK$5,000 as a “deposit” over three transactions via Alipay before any meeting was arranged.