In Hong Kong, police recently detained a 14-year-old boy on suspicion of his involvement in a phone scam that defrauded three elderly women of HK$554,000 (about US$71,235). The victims, aged between 75 and 84, were deceived through a common “guess-who-I-am” scam. This method involves scammers posing as lawyers who inform victims that a family member is in trouble, often needing bail to be released. Convinced by the fraudsters, the women handed over the money in person to the boy, who acted as a go-between.

The teenager was arrested on Friday on suspicion of conspiracy to obtain services by deception, though he reportedly did not receive any payment from the main culprits behind the operation. Despite this, authorities intend to push for enhanced sentencing, citing the seriousness of the offense. Inspector Leung Cheuk-hang emphasized the investigative team’s commitment to tackling such scams and highlighted the vulnerability of elderly individuals to these tactics. This case underscores the growing concern over phone scams in Hong Kong, especially those targeting seniors.