The victim is 27 years old Hong Kong-based Indian Ph.D. student who also works as a research associate at a local university. Police are unclear how trickster knew of victim’s visa application at the consulate.
A fraudster posing as a consulate official asked her to transfer USD 2,300 as part of her visa application.
Hong Kong's Indian Consulate told her that its office had not asked her to transfer any money. She then reported the incidence to the police on Friday, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said.
The victim first received a call last week on Monday from someone claiming to be "a consulate staff member" who told her she supplied incorrect information on her visa application. She was told over the phone to transfer money to an Indian bank account. After few days she wanted to check the status and came to know it was a scam.
According to The Times of India, it is still unknown how the scammers get to know about her visa application submission.
The Police source described such cases involving foreign victims and fake consulate workers as rare. The police told local media, “Scammers who spoke fluent English posed as staff members from the Home Affairs Department and told victims they were being fined for giving incorrect information to Indian authorities.”
The Hong Kong Police said that they had recorded four similar cases of Indian nationals in Hong Kong between February and April of last year.
Several Indian embassies across the world have warned Indian nationals against such scams.
