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Between August and October 2023, two reports in each of which an elderly person was suspected to have been deceived were received respectively. The modus operandi of the two scams were similar. While walking in the street, the elderly was requested by the culprit, who requested the former’s assistance in guarding some vehicle electronic parts for a while by offering a monetary reward. The culprit’s accomplice later approached the victim as a passer-by, claiming that the re-sale value of the parts was very high. The victim was encouraged to buy a large number of such parts from the culprit and resell them for a lucrative return. After the victim had paid the money, however, the fraudsters disappeared. The total amount of losses in the two cases was approximately $110 000.
After receiving the report, officers of the Kowloon West Regional Intelligence Unit quickly checked the CCTV nearby, identified the suspects and made arrests. The cases were later handed over to District Investigation Team 8 of Sham Shui Po District for consolidating prosecution foundations such as witness evidences, physical evidences and the suspects’ statements. The two elders sent letters of thanks to the officers respectively to praise their professionalism.
