An elderly woman has lost £23 Million to what could be the largest phone scam ever. The scam took place in Hong Kong in which the victim, who remains nameless, was contacted by someone pretending to be a Chinese official. The scammer tricked the woman in August last year, by telling her that her identity was being used in a money laundering scheme in China. She was told the situation was under control and in the hands of the authorities. The man later visited the woman’s home and provided her with a mobile phone. He told her to send money to a separate account, which she had no access to, to help them catch her identity thieves. Unfortunately, the woman did as she had been told.
The scam continued for several months and by the time it was picked up by real authorities, the woman had lost a staggering £23 Million. The investigation is still ongoing and the Chinese authorities expect more arrests.
