Hong Kong police recently reported that an 80-year-old woman was swindled out of HK$6 million (approximately US$764,772) by a scammer she encountered online. According to the authorities, the victim connected with the fraudster through Facebook. The perpetrator, who claimed to be an investment expert, eventually moved the communication to WhatsApp to establish a rapport and convince the woman to invest her money.

This case is not an isolated incident. The Hong Kong police force’s 'CyberDefender' social media page highlighted that this specific fraud was one of more than 50 investment scams reported within a single week. Collectively, these recent scams have resulted in total financial losses approaching HK$30 million. Police are using these incidents to warn the public about the dangers of trusting strangers encountered on social media platforms, particularly those offering unsolicited investment advice or promising high returns.

While the SCMP report provides the basic facts of the case, it does not detail the specific investment vehicles the fraudster claimed to offer, nor does it specify if the victim transferred the funds in a single transaction or over a period of time. The police have not yet identified or apprehended the suspect involved in this particular case, and investigations remain ongoing.