Hong Kong: 90-year-old woman conned out of $32 million in city's biggest phone scam

In what is being described as Hong Kong City's biggest phone scam, a 90-year-old woman has been conned out of $32 million.

The fraudsters, posing as Chinese officials last summer contacted the woman who lived in a mansion on The Peak, one of the most upmarket areas in the city, police said on Tuesday.

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The woman was told that her identity had been used in a serious criminal case in mainland China by the scammers who called themselves public security officials.

South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the woman was told she is required to transfer the money into bank accounts held by the probe team.

Many days later, police said, a person came to her house with a mobile phone and SIM card for the woman to communicate with the fraudsters who persuaded her to make 11 bank account transfers.

In five months, the woman gave away HK$250 million ($32 million), which is being described as the biggest recorded phone scam of the city.

Several elderly billionaires reside in Hong Kong, which makes them vulnerable to fraudsters.

In the first quarter of 2021, there has been an 18 per cent rise in phone scams with a combined loss of HK$350 million (US$45m).