Retired Hong Kong woman loses HK$2.9 million in online romance, fake app scam

South China Morning Post - Sep 29, 2026

A retired woman in Hong Kong lost nearly HK$2.9 million (US$369,670) in a romance scam after a fraudster posing as a power company employee won her trust and lured her into a bogus investment scheme. Police said the case was among at least 18 online romance scams reported in the past week, with total losses nearing HK$7.8 million, according to the force’s CyberDefender social media page. The 71-year-old retiree met a man on Facebook who claimed to work for a power company. The pair gradually...

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