HKUST student denied bail after allegedly posing as anti-graft agency officer, defrauding victim of HK$278K
A PhD student at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been denied bail after allegedly posing as an anti-corruption investigator and attempting to defraud a victim of HK$278,000.
The defendant, surnamed Zhang, appeared at the Eastern Magistrates' Court on Thursday to face a charge of conspiring to defraud.
According to the charge sheet cited by local media outlets, he is accused of conspiring to defraud a man in Sai Ying Pun on May 29.
Zhang allegedly posed as an officer from the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) in an attempt to scam the person out of HK$278,000.
According to a media briefing on Wednesday, police arrested Zhang, a 22-year-old student from mainland China, as well as an 18-year-old Form Six student and a 23-year-old woman, on Tuesday.
Police were alerted to the cases after receiving reports from four scam victims between March and May. The victims received phone calls from the suspects claiming they were involved in crimes in mainland China, police said.
The suspects then showed up at the victims' homes and presented an 'arrest order' as well as fake warrant cards and court papers, saying they needed to pay a refundable investigation fee, police added.
The four victims were defrauded of around HK$980,000 in total and only realised something was amiss when they could not reach the callers again.
The court denied Zhang bail and remanded him in custody on Thursday, local media reported.
The case was adjourned to August 13, but he will appear in court on Tuesday to apply for bail.
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