Police have arrested two people after two victims lost a combined HK$900,000 to a scammer claiming to be locked out of their home and in need of money for a locksmith.
The Hong Kong Police Force emblem. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.Police said officers received a report from a Tuen Mun resident on Monday, saying she was approached by a woman on the street who said she had forgotten her keys.
The woman told the victim her door lock was broken, and asked her to lend her some cash so she could hire a locksmith to open her door.
“When the victim handed over cash and lowered their guard, the scammer was emboldened by their initial success and wanted more, asking for larger sums under different pretexts,” Chu Yung-fai, an inspector in the Tuen Mun division’s Criminal Investigation Department, said in Cantonese.
“[The scammer] asked the victim to transfer more money through online banking,” Chu said.
He added that the scammer also told the victim that personal identification was needed for the locksmith services, and asked for their credit card, Octopus card, ATM card, and Hong Kong Identity Card.
Chu Yung-fai, an inspector in the Tuen Mun police division’s Criminal Investigation Department, speaking at a press briefing on October 23, 2026. Screenshot: Hong Kong Police Force.Chu said police investigated a similar case last year, and that the two victims lost over HK$900,000 in total.
The two people arrested were a 43-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man. Police seized four phones, around HK$2,000 in cash, and the clothes worn at the time of the alleged offence.
The woman was arrested in Kin Sang Estate in Tuen Mun for allegedly obtaining property by deception. The man was arrested in Pak Tin Estate in Sham Shui Po on suspicion of money laundering.
Both are believed to be connected to the two scams.
Police reminded the public to be vigilant when approached by people on the street for money, and to refrain from providing personal information.