Six men who helped cross-border phone scammers launder millions of dollars in swindled cash from Taiwanese retirees have been jailed in Hong Kong.
One of the men is from Taiwan, while the other five are from mainland China. Ranging in age from 23 to 53, all six were jailed yesterday for 16 to 24 months by Hong Kong’s District Court.
The men admitted coming to Hong Kong between 2013 and 2014 to open bank accounts through which to funnel the money.
It is thought the men assisted the masterminds of the operation by laundering HKD2.5 million from 30 victims, mainly retired Taiwanese women.
Only three victims came forward to testify against the men, however. All three told the court that they were contacted by callers claiming to be prosecutors, nurses or police officers and asking them to wire money into the Hong Kong bank accounts.
According to the SCMP, Hong Kong police had been aware of the operation for a year before the arrests.
Photo: Andy Rennie
