27th October 2026 – (Hong Kong) A middle‑aged engineer was swindled out of more than HK$8.5 million over a fortnight after meeting a woman on a dating app who claimed to be a dancer at a private club in Taiwan. The pair moved their conversation to WhatsApp and exchanged frequent messages until a person purporting to be the dancer’s manager intervened. Citing excuses such as buying “popularity votes” for a dance examination, paying club membership fees, undergoing asset verification and securing dates, the manager repeatedly pressed the victim to make transfers, saying he would otherwise be unable to meet the woman. Over roughly two weeks, the man sent funds to 17 designated bank accounts. When the so‑called manager escalated demands to include extra “administrative fees”, the victim had exhausted his savings; the contacts then cut communication and he realised he had been defrauded.
Police said at least 18 online romance scams were reported in the past week, with aggregate losses exceeding HK$13 million. Officers cautioned that anyone who has never met a correspondent in person and communicates only by text or video should make no compromises and transfer no money when financial requests arise. Claims involving asset checks or managers demanding payments were described as hallmark tactics used by fraudsters, and the public was urged not to disclose personal information.