More Hong Kong women being conned by ‘handsome’ fraudsters in dating scams: police

Con artists pretending to be attractive male dates are increasingly targeting Hong Kong women with false promises of companionship or sex in dating scams, prompting police to remind residents to be cautious when making friends online.

Fraudsters usually hunt for targets on social media platforms, dating apps or messaging services, and befriend them before offering “services beyond friendship” in these compensated dating swindles, according to the force.

In a recent post on their CyberDefender Facebook page, police said they handled 47 compensated dating-related scams last week, with victims losing more than HK$3 million (US$384,900).

Previously, such scams mostly targeted men, including those willing to pay for sex, the force said.

“But surprisingly, men are no longer solely targeted in these scams,” it added.