Police said on Monday they arrested eight people for allegedly operating compensated dating scams involving 80 cases, totalling HK$6.2 million over the past two years.

Officers said the suspects presented fake name cards on social media platforms, pretending to be lawyers and tycoons, and offered between HK$50,000 and HK$70,000 a month to become the victims' sugar daddies.

Officers said 65 percent of the victims were women, and over half of them worked in the services trade or as office workers. The biggest single case amounted to HK$480,000. Police said all transactions were conducted online and the victims had never met the scammers in person.

The victims were required to pay a so‑called legal fee before they could receive the money, officers said.

Superintendent Cheung Hau‑yee said people should be vigilant over such cases.

"You have to call the lawyer directly, rather than just believe those fake name cards sent by the scammers. You have to call the lawyer's company directly to confirm," Cheung said.

Police made the arrests last week in an operation codenamed "Tight Net".

Cheung said she believed the syndicate had been smashed, with the ringleader and a core member charged with money laundering and conspiracy to defraud. The pair remain in custody, while the rest were released on bail.


Edited by Aaron Tam