Two arrested in deception case
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Police have arrested a man and a woman in connection with two deception cases in which victims were allegedly cheated of money by people claiming to be game hostesses for a wedding banquet in late 2007 and also bank staff earlier this year.

Police investigations showed that two women,18 and 21, were recruited by a man through an Internet website as game hostesses for a wedding banquet in an Admiralty hotel on December 30, 2007. They were told to circulate among the guests claiming that a lucky draw would be held when the dinner ended. Each guest from six to seven tables was asked to place at least $100 in red packets provided by the pair. The women later collected the money and fled. A 60-year-old male victim made a report to police the next day. 

On January 14 this year, Police received a report from a 19-year-old woman that she had been cheated of $130,000 in cash by a woman who pretended to be a staff member of a bank in Nathan Road, Mong Kok. 

Investigations revealed that two women, 19 and 21, were recruited by the same man again via the Internet. The man represented himself as the bank staff member and told the two women to offer assistance to bank customers by asking if they needed to deposit an amount of more than $100,000. The victim subsequently handed over the money to one of the women who then passed it to the man. 

Following extensive investigations into the two cases by officers of District Investigation Team of Mong Kok, a 34-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman were arrested in Kwai Chung yesterday (June 3). The two are suspected of recruiting the women to commit the crimes.

The two people arrested for allegedly obtaining property by deception will be detained overnight for further enquiries.

Police appealed to anyone who had been a victim of similar deception cases recently but who had not reported it, to call the investigating officers on 2398 6279 or Mong Kok Police Station on 2381 1052.

Police Report No. 5
Issued by PPRB

Issued by PPRB
Ends/ Wednesday, June 4, 2008
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