CLIFFORD LO CLIFFORD.LO@SCMP.COM
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 21 October, 2015, 4:45pm
UPDATED : Wednesday, 21 October, 2015, 5:03pm
There were 489 reports of email scams in the first six months of this year. Photo: AP
A Hong Kong supply management company has become the latest victim in a spate of email scams to hit the city after it was conned out of HK$1.8 million, police said.
Officers believe fraudsters posing as the firm’s owner sent a fraudulent email ordering staff to remit the money to an overseas bank account.
Police are treating the case as “deception”. Detectives from Kwun Tong police district are investigating. So far, no one has been arrested.
Officers launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from the female employee, 55, of the company in Cha Kwo Ling Road at about 1.30pm yesterday.
Initial investigation showed that swindlers pretending to be her employer sent the bogus email to her in the middle of this month, according to police.
“Following the instructions in the email, she sent US$232,500 to an overseas bank account in two separate remittance transfers,” a police spokesman said.
She realised she had been swindled after discovering that her employer did not receive the money.
According to police, there were 489 reports of email scams in the first six months of this year. Police handled 1,095 cases in the whole of last year.
The police spokesman called on members of the public to be alert of suspicious emails, and be aware of this kind of scam. He recommended taking the initiative to confirm the true identities of recipients or the genuineness of requests by telephone, facsimile or other means before sending money.
“Safeguard personal data”, “set strong passwords and change them regularly” and “do not open emails of dubious origins” are among more advice given by police on their website.
http://m.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/1870341/email-scammers-strike-again-hong-kong-company-loses-hk18m
