Hong Kong teens held over swindling elderly woman out of HK$50,000 in phone scam

Hong Kong police have arrested a 16-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man on suspicion of swindling an 85-year-old woman out of HK$50,000 (US$6,369) by pretending to be her daughter and claiming to require bail money.

The force said on Sunday the victim reported the incident on Friday. After receiving a call from someone who said she was her daughter and in police custody, the elderly woman followed instructions and handed over HK$50,000 in cash to a man at a prearranged location.

She only realised she had been scammed after contacting her daughter.

Later the same day, the fraudsters contacted the victim again, demanding more “bail money”. The duo were arrested on Chai Wan Road at around 5.30pm. The case has been taken over by the Eastern district criminal investigation team.

Both suspects were provisionally charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and are scheduled to appear in Eastern Court on Monday morning, the force said.

In Hong Kong, conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment.