Hong Kong, Malaysian and Singaporean police bust an online romance scam ring

Hong Kong police worked with their counterparts in Malaysia and Singapore to bust an online romance scam ring that duped more than 140 people in the three locations out of HK$110 million (US$14 million), the force said on Friday.

Dating and romance scams often take place through online dating websites, but scammers may also use social media or email to make contact. Source: www.scamwatch.gov.au

A total of 52 people were arrested in a joint operation mounted in Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore between last Thursday and Sunday. The syndicate hired translators and used translation software to communicate with victims via text messages in different languages, police said.

Cheung Mo Ching reports.