Talent, mainland Chinese students lose HK$13 million in Hong Kong rent scam

Hong Kong police have arrested 11 people on suspicion of cheating at least 150 talent scheme arrivals and mainland Chinese students out of HK$13 million (US$1.7 million) in rent by pretending to be flat owners, with one victim losing more than HK$300,000.

The force said on Friday that the scammers had targeted newcomers to the city, including mainland students and successful applicants to the Top Talent Pass Scheme, which aims to attract top graduates, skilled workers and entrepreneurs from around the globe.

“Investigations revealed that the scammers used various channels to rent residential flats by borrowing others’ identities and impersonating the owners to sublet the units through social media,” Senior Inspector Lam Tsz-lim of West Kowloon’s regional crime unit said.

Lam said there were at least 150 victims, with 60 per cent of them being students from the mainland.

The victims typically lost about HK$100,000 to HK$200,000 each, with the biggest recorded loss exceeding HK$300,000, he added.

The force launched an investigation after it had received reports that a property management company claimed to have flats for lease on social media, yet tenants were unable to move in even after paying rent.

Police later identified a local syndicate operated by a triad group and launched an operation code-named “Nightfire”, arresting eight men and three women aged 19 to 40 on Thursday and Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.