A woman aged about 40 lost nearly HK$2 million in a job scam after an advertised work-from-home clerical position led to requests to buy luxury goods, Hong Kong police said in an account posted on CyberDefender.
She had found the part-time vacancy on an online job platform and submitted her résumé. A person claiming to be an officer at a recruitment company then contacted her on WhatsApp and said she had been hired. The initial duties were described as clerical work.
The supposed employer later asked her to help buy luxury goods for the company, promising to return the money along with her wages when the task was complete. Over about one and a half months, she borrowed from several finance companies and transferred money to accounts controlled by the scammers. She realised she had been deceived after the other party became unreachable.
Police advised jobseekers to check a prospective employer’s background and business, and to be wary of well-paid jobs that require advance payment or borrowing.