81yo woman has lost $5m in online romance scam
發佈日期: 2025-10-21 11:53
TVB News
An 81-year-old woman fell victim to an online romance scam and was swindled out of 5 million dollars by a fraudster who claimed to be a soldier.
According to the police's "CyberDefender" website, over the past ten days more than 40 online romance scam cases were reported, involving nearly 40 million dollars. Almost half of the victims were aged 55 or above, with losses exceeding 24 million dollars.
In one case that occurred in May, an 81-year-old woman received a WhatsApp message from a scammer who claimed to be a soldier and invited her to visit the Shek Kong military camp.
It is understood that the scammer impersonated a soon-to-retire member of the People's Liberation Army. As the victim happened to have a ticket for a military camp visit, the two began chatting. The scammer then showed care and concern, leading her to develop an online romantic attachment.
After gaining her trust, the scammer falsely claimed he planned to leave the military to start a business and repeatedly asked her for funds. She followed his instructions and made transfers. Later, someone claiming to be the "soldier's superior" contacted her, saying the "soldier" had died and left an inheritance of over 9 million dollars, but fees had to be paid to claim it. Believing this, she made multiple transfers and ultimately lost more than 5 million dollars, her life savings. She later told her son about the matter and realised she had been scammed.
Police said that loneliness is often the main reason scammers succeed in online romance cases. They advise spending more time with elderly family members, paying attention to their internet habits, regularly sharing information about new scam tactics, and reminding them to consult family before making financial transactions to avoid losing their life savings.
