Hong Kong Police Arrest Four Over Suspected Attempt to Cash $10 Billion Check
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Hong Kong police arrested four individuals on Tuesday after they tried to cash a suspicious check worth $10 billion — marking the second audacious fraud attempt involving sky-high sums in the city this month.
The incident occurred at an HSBC branch in The Westwood Mall in Sai Wan around 3:42 p.m., when staff alerted authorities after the group presented a check and asked to immediately open an account and withdraw the 11-figure amount. The two men and two women, who spoke Mandarin and said they were colleagues, raised suspicions due to the check’s astronomical value.
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- Four people were arrested in Hong Kong after attempting to cash a fake $10 billion check at HSBC on Tuesday.
- The suspects included two men and two women from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Vietnam; the incident follows a similar $18.9 billion fraud try earlier in January.
- Under Hong Kong law, using a false instrument can result in up to 14 years in prison.
- HSBC
- HSBC was involved in a suspicious check incident at its branch in The Westwood Mall, Sai Wan. Staff at the bank alerted authorities after a group attempted to cash a fake check worth $10 billion and immediately withdraw the funds. This marks the second audacious fraud attempt involving sky-high sums in Hong Kong this month.
- January 8, 2026：
- A 65-year-old woman from the Chinese mainland, surnamed Zhou, presented a remittance slip for 16 billion euros ($18.9 billion) at a bank in Pacific Place, Admiralty, and was detained after the slip was found to be likely forged.
- January 29, 2026：
- The $10 billion check fraud case was handed over to the Western District criminal investigation team.
- As of January 29, 2026：
- The $10 billion check fraud case was handed over to the Western District criminal investigation team.
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