A scam-call centre in a Tseung Kwan O home placed more than 23,000 calls in about a week, police said. The calls were made using a multi-SIM modem, also known as a modem pool.
Officers found the equipment still operating when they raided the residential unit on 9 October. Police said it could be controlled remotely using computer software. They arrested a 24-year-old local man on suspicion of fraud; he was being detained for investigation.
Police said the callers posed as customer-service staff from online-shopping platforms and claimed that purchased goods needed to be returned or refunded. They then asked victims to transfer money to bank accounts they provided, for a deposit or handling fee, or claimed a high annual fee would be charged to a victim’s bank account. A number recovered in the operation was linked to a scam in which a victim lost more than HK$100,000.
Police advised people who receive unexpected calls to verify the caller’s identity through the organisation’s official channels. Suspicious phone numbers or bank accounts can also be checked using the police anti-scam app, or by calling 18222.