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81-Year-Old Scammed Out of HK$5 Million in Romance Fraud

10/22/2025

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Summary

Story summary

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong lost over HK$5 million to an online romance scam after a man posed as a People's Liberation Army officer on WhatsApp.
He claimed he would leave the military to start a business, prompting her to send money.
A second impersonator, posing as the scammer's superior, said the man had died and left her an inheritance of over HK$9 million, with fees to access it.

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Story summary

An 81-year-old woman in Hong Kong lost over HK$5 million to an online romance scam after a man posed as a People's Liberation Army officer on WhatsApp.
He claimed he would leave the military to start a business, prompting her to send money.
A second impersonator, posing as the scammer's superior, said the man had died and left her an inheritance of over HK$9 million, with fees to access it.