■本港揭發涉1.8億港元歷來單一最大金額網戀騙案。 資料圖片【原文】下文摘錄自香港《文匯報》2018年9月7日報道︰
本港揭發涉1.8億港元歷來單一最大金額網戀（online romance）騙案（scam）。一名女商人4年前透過約會網站認識自稱外籍工程師男子後，4年間遭男方以公司周轉不靈等不同藉口提出借貸，女商人逾200次將合共1.8億港元匯至不同地區銀行戶口。直至上月，女商人懷疑受騙，與家人商討後報警，但所借出款項已被騙徒（fraudster/swindler）全數轉走。警方列作「以欺騙（deception）手段取得財產（property）」案處理，暫未有人被捕（arrest）。
根據資料，近期涉及網戀騙案有急劇上升之勢，單是本年截至7月為止所錄得的案件宗數及金額，較2016年及2017年整體數字超出近五成至逾倍，與去年同期相比更超出2倍至3倍之多。
據悉，66歲女事主為商人，經營從事地產（real estate）業務公司，家住港島半山區（Mid-Levels），2013年丈夫不幸去世。消息稱，2014年4月女事主透過約會網站Lovestruck，認識自稱在外地工作的英國工程師男子，兩人志趣相投，雖然分隔異地仍迅速發展網戀。
不過，兩人網上相識僅1個月後，同年5月男方向女事主表示，公司正在外地的工程出現資金周轉不靈，希望商借數十萬港元應急，家境富裕的女事主不虞有詐，一口答應按指示將款項匯至（remit）指定銀行戶口，男方獲借錢「千多萬謝」（gratitude），令女事主開心不已。
惟事隔不久，男方再以周轉不靈理由提出借錢，女事主同樣答應。詎料男方「變本加厲」下，不斷以公司周轉不靈或外地工程資金被凍結（freeze）等不同藉口，多次向女事主提出借錢應急，金額由數十萬至100萬港元不等。女事主信以為真，如「提款機」多次按男方要求將款項匯至香港、內地、英國、日本及東南亞（Southeast Asia）等不同地區銀行戶口，女事主由2014年5月至今年7月間為止，累計合共向男方借出1.8億港元。
雖然女事主借出巨額款項，但她與「男友」從未親身見面，4年以來一直僅靠網上聯絡，其借出款項亦屬她個人資產（asset），毋須借貸（loan）。
直至今年7月，男方突然無故失去聯絡，女事主初時以為對方工作繁忙，未有為意。直至上月初，女事主連日嘗試聯絡不果下，與家人商討，懷疑遇上網戀騙案，於是報警。警方根據資料嘗試追截曾匯出的款項，但因已相隔一段時間，全部款項已被騙徒轉走，下落未明。案件列作「以欺騙手段取得財產」，交由灣仔警區重案組（District Crime Squad）跟進。
另外，本月上旬警方接獲一名本地女子報案指，早前在網上社交平台與自稱外籍男子發展網戀，其間男方以生意周轉困難為由向她借錢應急。女事主不虞有詐，由今年5月至8月期間多次按指示將合共約100萬港元匯至指定戶口。對方其後失去聯絡，女子懷疑受騙報警，案件交由元朗警區刑事調查隊（Yuen Long District Investigation Team）跟進，暫未有人被捕。
警方呼籲市民，使用社交媒體應謹記網上虛擬世界（virtual world）不能盡信，切勿輕信網友的甜言蜜語；避免在社交平台披露（reveal）太多個人背景或資料；如涉及借貸或投資等金錢往來，應加倍小心；如有網上結識的陌生人以任何原因要求索取金錢，不要輕易相信，必須核實（verify）其身份。如有任何懷疑，市民可致電反詐騙協調中心（Anti-Deception Coordination Centre）24小時熱線18222查詢。
Hong Kong exposes a single online romance scam involving HK$180 million
【譯文】A single online romance scam involving a monetary record of HK$180 million was reported locally. A businesswoman befriended an overseas engineer - whom claimed to have financial difficulties with his business-through dating website 4 years ago and was duped into transferring a total of HK$180 million into the bank accounts of various regions in over 200 transactions. The woman had a conversation with her family and realized she was being cheated, and contacted the police finally.
However, the money should have already been transferred away by the fraudster. The case was classified as "obtaining property by deception" but no arrests had been made.
According to statistics, a drastic increase for online love scams is seen recently. The numbers of cases and amount of money recorded as of July this year have been 50% more or even double the overall figures of 2016 and 2017, and it is 2 to 3 times as much as the figures of the same period last year.
The victim is a 66-year-old businesswoman who runs a real estate investment company and lives in the Mid-Levels on Hong Kong Island, with her husband passed away in 2013.
It was reported that the woman befriended the overseas engineer through an online platform Lovestruck in April 2014. The pair shared similar interests and then established a relationship shortly.
Yet, knowing each other for just one month, the man claimed he needed some hundreds of thousands HK dollars urgently for an overseas project, and the woman was duped into remitting the cash to the designated bank accounts and felt so excited and joyful at the gratitude expressed by the fraudster.
The swindler continued begging the woman for money for the reasons of having financial difficulties and foreign project funds being frozen, with the amount requested ranging from a few hundred thousand HK dollars to even a million. The victim had been tricked into transferring money to the designated bank accounts in Hong Kong, mainland China, Britain, Japan and Southeast Asia for a total of HK$180 million from May 2014 until July this year.
Though offering generous financial aid, the victim never met the man in person throughout their 4-year relationship but only kept in touch online. The woman took the money out of her personal assets but not from any financial loans.
The victim lost contact with the man from July this year and thought that he might be simply busy at work. However, she tried to contact him but still failed last month, and eventually turned to the police after consulting family members for fear that she was being deceived.
The police tried to recover the money from the respective bank accounts but the entire amount should already have been taken away by the swindler. The case was listed as "obtaining property by deception" and to be handled by the District Crime Squad of Wan Chai District.
In addition, another case of online romance fraud was reported to the police early this month that a woman met an overseas man online and did as instructed to transfer a total of one million HK dollars to the designated bank account from May to August this year, hoping to help the man overcome financial difficulties.
The victim contacted the police until the man disappeared. The case was handed over to the Yuen Long District Investigation Team for action and no arrests had been made.
The police advised the public to be aware of the virtual world and false claims on the internet and avoid revealing too much personal information when using social media, especially when it involves money borrowing transaction.
If a stranger requests for money for any reason online, people are advised to verify his/her identity to protect themselves from being scammed. If in doubt, the public can call the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre's 24-hour "Anti-Scam Helpline 18222" for assistance.■龐嘉儀
Questions
1. 「反詐騙協調中心」於何時成立？
2. 據警方統計數字顯示，大多數網戀騙案的受害者介乎多少歲？
3. 受害人大多從事什麼行業？
4. 女性受害人佔比約多少？
Answer
1. 2018年7月
2. 31-60歲（佔總體約80%）
3. 白領人士或從事服務業
4. 接近95%