Chinese Mainland Student in Hong Kong Arrested in ‘Bogus Official’ Scam
00:00/00:00
Listen to this article
1x
Subscribe now
Listen to the full version
Listen to the full version
A 22-year-old Chinese mainland student in Hong Kong has been arrested for posing as a law enforcement agent and defrauding seven people of more than HK$6.4 million ($820,000) in a “bogus official” scam.
The student allegedly donned a suit and used forged credentials to collect cash from victims, who are mainly fellow university students, Hong Kong police said at a Tuesday briefing. The arrest on Monday in Sha Tin district followed reports from victims between September and October.
You've accessed an article available only to subscribers
VIEW OPTIONS
Unlock exclusive discounts with a Caixin group subscription — ideal for teams and organizations.
Subscribe to both Caixin Global and The Wall Street Journal — for the price of one.
Share this article
Open WeChat and scan the QR code
- DIGEST HUB
Digest Hub
Back
Explore the story in 30 seconds
- A 22-year-old Chinese mainland student in Hong Kong was arrested for posing as a law enforcement agent and defrauding seven people of over HK$6.4 million.
- In the first half of 2024, 313 mainland students in Hong Kong lost HK$60.31 million to scams, with bogus official scams accounting for 80% of losses.
- Similar fraud cases involving Chinese students have also occurred recently in Hong Kong and the U.S.
AI generated, for reference only
What Happened When
- July 2025：
- U.S. prosecutors charged eight Chinese students with swindling more than $10 million from over 50 elderly people across more than 19 states.
- By the first half of 2025：
- 313 mainland students in Hong Kong were scammed out of HK$60.31 million, with HK$48.23 million lost to bogus official scams.
- September 2025：
- A 19-year-old mainland student was arrested for allegedly impersonating an anti-corruption officer in three scams involving HK$8.79 million.
- Between September 2025 and October 2025：
- Victims reported scams involving a suspect posing as a law enforcement agent, defrauding them of more than HK$6.4 million.
- Earlier in October 2025：
- A 20-year-old mainland student was arrested after allegedly being recruited by a fraud ring under the pretext of recovering losses from a previous scam.
- October 20, 2025：
- Police arrested a 22-year-old mainland student in connection with the 'bogus official' scam.
- October 21, 2025：
- The police held a briefing in Sha Tin district regarding the arrest of the 22-year-old student.
AI generated, for reference only
- PODCAST
- MOST POPULAR
Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook
Sign in with 财新