78 arrested as Hong Kong police bust HK$5 million online shopping scams

Hong Kong police have arrested 78 people in a citywide crackdown on online shopping fraud, solving 165 cases involving more than HK$5 million (US$637,565) in losses, including one victim who was cheated out of HK$1.2 million while seeking cheaper medicine.

Officers arrested 59 men and 19 women aged between 15 and 73 during the operation code-named “Blacksword”, which ran from June 15 to 26.

Of them, 69 were suspected holders of mule accounts used to transfer or process illicit proceeds, with the majority claiming to be unemployed.

Cheung Chin-hung, a senior inspector at the force’s cyber security and technology crime bureau, said the operation had successfully dismantled several major local syndicates involved in online shopping scams.

The suspects faced charges of obtaining property by deception and money laundering, police said.

Investigation showed that about 60 per cent of the 165 cases were linked to seven local suspects from five separate groups.