Hong Kong police arrest man in 23,000-call customer service scam

Hong Kong police have arrested a 24-year-old man suspected of operating a criminal call center that impersonated customer service agents for online shopping platforms. The operation reportedly made over 23,000 automated calls to local numbers in just over a week.

Scammers used various pretexts to defraud victims, such as claiming there were issues with purchased goods requiring returns or refunds. They also requested deposits, processing fees, or falsely claimed victims would be charged high annual bank fees to trick them into transferring money to specific accounts. One victim lost more than 100,000 Hong Kong dollars (approximately 11,370 euros).

During a search of an apartment in Tseung Kwan O, authorities seized a large quantity of SIM cards, a modem connection device, four mobile phones, a computer, and a tablet. Investigators believe the suspect used the apartment as a base and obtained numerous SIM cards registered under a single company name.