Hong Kong police arrest boy, 14, over collecting cash in HK$554,000 phone scam

Hong Kong police have arrested a 14-year-old boy for allegedly collecting HK$554,000 (US$71,235) from three elderly residents as part of a phone scam in which victims were told they needed to pay bail money to have their sons released.

The force said on Saturday that the teen was apprehended a day earlier on suspicion of conspiracy to obtain services by deception.

While the student had not received any reward from the scam’s masterminds, police would apply to the court for enhanced sentencing due to the seriousness of the case, the force said.

Inspector Leung Cheuk-hang of the Western district investigation team said police had received reports from the three victims between October 24 and 28 alleging they paid the student HK$554,000 after scammers posing as lawyers told each of them their sons had been detained in criminal cases and needed bail money.

The victims, all women, were aged 75 to 84, police added.

“The victims believed it was true and they handed over a total of HK$554,000 in cash and in person near their homes to the arrestee according to the criminal’s instructions,” Leung said.

The fraudsters employed the “guess-who-I-am” scam tactics, which typically involve swindlers phoning victims and asking them to guess their identities.