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A 66-year-old retiree from Hong Kong lost 6.6 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately $840,000) following three interconnected scams. The scheme was based on fraudulent cryptocurrency investments, as reported by the Hong Kong police.
According to the investigation, the elderly man repeatedly transferred his funds to “virtual currency experts” who contacted him via messaging apps. The first message from the scammers was received by the victim in September. An unknown individual promised a steady income if the pensioner followed his advice. Believing the claims, the man transferred $180,000 and placed cryptocurrency in a wallet that was presumably controlled by the perpetrator. Subsequently, the consultant ceased communication, prompting the victim to report the incident to the police.
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In an attempt to recover his lost funds, the pensioner began searching online for another cryptocurrency expert and encountered yet another fraudster, the police stated. The “investment advisor” informed the elderly Chinese man that he could assist in retrieving the stolen money but demanded $75,000 as a fee for the service. After the funds were transferred, the fake specialist stopped responding to calls and messages.
In January, a third stranger contacted the pensioner through a messaging app. He offered to compensate for both previous losses if the victim purchased cryptocurrency worth $585,000 and sent it to a specified address. Once the pensioner complied with the conditions, the scammer vanished.
Recently, a Russian woman transferred over 6.3 million rubles to scammers in an attempt to profit from cryptocurrency investments. The perpetrators reached out to the victim via messaging app and proposed additional income, according to the police.
