Hong Kong police said 14 investment-scam cases involving people under 30 were recorded over the past two weeks, with total losses exceeding HK$6.6 million.
In one case, a 25-year-old woman met a person claiming to be an investment expert through a dating app. Police said the person spent about two months chatting with her and building trust before introducing her to cryptocurrency investment and showing her apparent profits.
The person then sent her a link to a fake investment website and guided her through creating a cryptocurrency wallet, depositing funds and buying cryptocurrency. She transferred more than HK$1.4 million over 12 days. The website showed apparently rising returns, but she realised she had been defrauded when she could not withdraw the money.
Police urged people to treat investment pitches from people met online promising low risk, high returns or guaranteed profits with suspicion. They advised against clicking unfamiliar links or transferring money to personal accounts or platforms of unknown origin. Suspicious websites and scam information can be checked using an anti-scam app recommended by police, they said.