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HK retiree loses HK$10 million after WhatsApp crypto scam
Police said no tenancy agreement was signed, but the fraudster used a rental inquiry to gain access to the victim’s crypto wallet details and password.
Hong Kong police said a 64-year-old retiree who owned residential, commercial and parking spaces lost about HK$10 million after being targeted by a fraudster posing as a prospective tenant.
According to the force, the victim was contacted on WhatsApp in May by a scammer who replied to a rental listing she posted on Facebook. Police said the scammer and the retiree built a relationship despite no tenancy agreement being signed.
Police said the fraudster claimed they could teach her how to invest in cryptocurrency and framed it as a path to get rich. The con artist provided step-by-step instructions to set up a cryptocurrency wallet, then tricked her into sharing her wallet details and password.
Police said the victim went on to spend about HK$10 million on cryptocurrencies, which the scammer then transferred out of her digital wallet. She realized the scam only after checking her wallet and finding it empty.