Police have arrested 15 people in connection with a scheme where licensed insurance agents allegedly helped candidates cheat in order to obtain professional qualifications.

The Commercial Crime Bureau launched an investigation in January following a referral from the Insurance Authority.

The regulator had received complaints last October alleging that an education institution was helping examinees cheat on tests for the Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designation – a globally recognised industry credential.

In a raid on Thursday, officers moved in during a test at a Kwun Tong examination centre, arresting six men and nine women aged 22 to 70, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud.

Police believe 11 of the suspects – five men and six women – formed the core of the syndicate. Three are current insurance agents, while three others are former practitioners.

The remaining four suspects are exam candidates.

Inspector Wong King-sai said the syndicate lured clients by offering "one-stop services" that covered everything from exam registration and prep courses to cheating.

"On top of the official exam fee, each candidate had to pay the syndicate an extra HK$14,000. On test day, syndicate staff acted as invigilators and pre-installed remote-control software on candidates' computers. Another computer behind the scenes took control of their screens and answered the questions for them," he said.

"After answering, the invigilators told candidates to stay in their seats and pretend to keep working on their exams. They were only told to submit their answers after a reasonable amount of time had passed, creating the illusion of a legitimate exam," he added.

Maria Tsui, Head of Enforcement at the Insurance Authority, said the regulator will, with immediate effect, suspend recognition of the FLMI qualification and review individuals who previously earned the credential through the implicated examination centre.

She noted that about 250 people have obtained insurance licenses using the FLMI designation since 2024, out of more than 120,000 licensed insurance agents citywide.


Edited by Aaron Tam