HK Woman Loses $3.3M to Romance Scam Despite Meeting Scammer In Person
A Hong Kong woman in her 50s lost over $3.3 million to a romance scam that unfolded over six months, despite meeting the scammer in person multiple times.
The scheme began when she was introduced to a woman who wanted to discuss insurance business, which led to a man calling himself 'Uncle' with an auto industry background.
'Uncle' developed a romantic relationship with her over WhatsApp, and once trust was established, he positioned himself as an experienced investor. He convinced her to install a cryptocurrency trading app that showed apparent returns above 800%,
a figure that eventually turned out to be a scam. The victim handed over HK$4 million in cash directly to accomplices and wired HK$22 million to bank accounts under other people's names.