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Clifford Lo

Fifty Hongkongers have been swindled out of HK$2.83 million (US$363,610) in a week after being scammed into making advance payments under false promises of companionship or sex.
Police said on Wednesday that scammers, posing as attractive men or women, hunted for targets on social media platforms or dating websites, and befriended them before offering “compensated dating” or sexual services as part of the trap.
The force said fraudsters asked their targets out on dates after initiating contact.
Before any meet-up, scammers usually expressed concerns about undercover police involvement and asked victims to buy game point cards, pay with digital currency or transfer money to a designated bank account as a deposit for the service.
“After the payment is made, swindlers disappear, and the ‘handsome’ man or ‘pretty’ woman never shows up for the meeting,” police said.
In an alert posted on the force’s CyberDefender page on social media on Wednesday, police said offenders extorted victims who refused to pay the deposits by threatening to harm them or their families.
Police received 50 reports over compensated dating scams last week, involving financial losses of more than HK$2.83 million.

In one of the cases, a 37-year-old man lost HK$640,000 after responding and falling victim to scammers.
“Before any meet-up, he was coaxed into making eight payments for a service deposit, totalling HK$640,000,” police said.
The victim realised it was a scam when no one showed up to meet him.
Police reminded the public to be cautious when making friends on social media, urging residents not to participate in any compensated dating activities, pay any deposit or give their personal information to strangers.
Previously, such swindles mostly targeted men. But police issued an alert in September to say that scammers pretending to be attractive men were increasingly targeting women.
Women were the victims in 10 out of 47 compensated dating scams reported in a week that month, after being conned by fake profiles of “handsome” men.
In the first six months of the year, police handled 1,055 reports of such swindles, with victims losing HK$58.7 million.
Last year, the city reported an increase of 174 cases against the 1,962 logged in 2022. The total amount of money victims lost rose to HK$113 million in 2023 from HK$72 million in 2022.
Case numbers have been on the rise, going from 761 in 2019 to 1,743 in 2021. The total reported losses also soared from HK$29.8 million to HK$63 million over the period.


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Crime in Hong Kong

50 Hongkongers lose HK$2.83 million in a week from ‘compensated dating’ scams

Police say fraudsters asked their targets out on dates after initiating contact. Photo: Shutterstock

Police have reminded the public to be cautious when making friends on social media. Photo: Photo: SCMP

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Police have issued a scam alert on the CyberDefender Facebook page, and warned those seeking sex: “Advance payment for compensated dating? Don’t be too naive.” Photo: Shutterstock

Before meeting for the “date”, the victims are told to pay a deposit in advance using game point cards, gift cards or virtual assets, police say. Photo: Warton Li

Hong Kong police arrest 30 in crackdown on ‘compensated dating’, ‘naked-chat blackmail’ scams after 37 conned out of HK$2 million

Police display evidence related to the case. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong police bust ‘compensated dating’ syndicate, arrest five over scam that conned 11 men out of HK$2.8 million

Hong Kong police have busted a syndicate that used the offer of ‘compensated dating’ services to relieve 11 men of HK$2.8 million. Photo: Shutterstock

Police arrested a gang of five swindlers on Tuesday in a clampdown against a fraud syndicate which cheated 11 men out of HK$2.8 million in compensated dating scams.One of the victims who was conned out of HK$993,000 was the biggest loser after a con artist posing as a model befriended him on social media and then offered compensated dating service Ð a disguised form of prostitution in which clients pay for companionship and often sex. === PHOTO CAPTURED FROM FACEBOOK === FACEBOOK.

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Police warn over fraudsters posing as attractive dates online, with victims told to pay deposit for service that promises companionship or sex


Police warn over fraudsters posing as attractive dates online, with victims told to pay deposit for service that promises companionship or sex.


Scams and swindles

50 Hongkongers lose HK$2.83 million in a week from ‘compensated dating’ scams

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Police warn over fraudsters posing as attractive dates online, with victims told to pay deposit for service that promises companionship or sex

Police warn over fraudsters posing as attractive dates online, with victims told to pay deposit for service that promises companionship or sex