A police investigation into an increasing trend of "Guess Who I Am?" scams has led to the arrest of nine suspects, including seven men and two women, aged between 16 and 42, between October 15 and November 4. The suspects are accused of "conspiring to defraud." The victims, mostly senior citizens, ranged in age from 73 to 86, and the total amount defrauded was approximately HKD 325,000. To execute the fraud, the gang is organized with a core member managing operations, recruiting both local and mainland Chinese with two-way permits to act as "runners" to collect the money from victims. The gang assigns a core member to distribute work phone calls each day to communicate with the runners and also confiscates their identity documents to control their activities. Another role, the "monitor," oversees the runners collecting money from the victims and ensures they do not draw attention from law enforcement. The gang often exchanges work phones and identity documents in different locations across the city, with the exchange often taking place in areas without surveillance cameras to complicate police investigations. The police launched a swift operation from October 15 to November 4, successfully arresting five "runners" and two "monitors" during the victims' transactions with the suspects. Two key members of the gang were apprehended at Kai Tak and Tsai Ma Wan on November 4, with police seizing eight phones and the suspects' clothing from their residences. In total, six victims lost between HKD 25,000 and HKD 90,000, amounting to around HKD 325,000, all of which has been recovered. It emerged that the "runners" were mainland Chinese individuals, including a 16-year-old, who were hired to collect the money and received several hundred Hong Kong dollars as a reward.
Star Headline
Published: 2026-11-05 18:18:47
'Guess Who' Email Scam: 9 Men and Women Arrested, Suspected of Coming from Mainland China
Hong Kong's Western Kowloon Criminal Investigation Unit investigated a 'Guess Who' email scam, arresting seven men and two women, aged 16 to 42, during October 15 to November 4. The total amount involved was approximately HKD 325,000. The victims were mostly elderly individuals ranging in age from 73 to 86. It was found that the fraud ring recruited mainland Chinese individuals with a reward of about 100 yuan to receive the scam money in Hong Kong.
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