On Nov. 26, a No. 5 alarm fire broke out at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po. Senior Superintendent of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau, L ee Frances King-hei, stated that following the Tai Po fire, some individuals impersonated victims on social media, claiming to have lost loved ones and their homes in the disaster, in hopes of soliciting donations from the public.
Unfortunately, four kind-hearted citizens believed these fraudulent claims and were collectively scammed out of HK$25,500. Upon realizing they had been deceived, the victims immediately reported the matter to the police.
Lee added that after receiving the reports, the police launched an investigation, instructed the relevant social media platforms to remove the fraudulent posts, and requested payment platforms to freeze the accounts involved in the scam.
Following the investigation, the Bureau identified the holder of a puppet account and took action on Dec. 2, arresting a 32-year-old local man.
The arrested man, who is not a resident of Tai Po, claimed to be working as a chef. He is currently in police custody, with charges to be filed later.
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