Hong Kong Police Warn of 'Beautiful Assistant' Investment Scam After HK$5 Million Loss

Hong Kong police have issued a fresh warning over investment scams after more than 80 cases were reported in the past week, with total losses exceeding HK$86 million. One victim, a local physiotherapist, lost HK$5 million after being lured into a fake stock investment scheme through a social media advertisement.

According to the force's CyberDefender unit, the scam began with a Facebook advertisement promoting an "online investment expert." After clicking the ad, the victim was redirected to a WhatsApp chat with a so-called "beautiful assistant", whose profile featured a professionally dressed woman.

The scammer built trust by sending daily stock market updates and claiming that clients were earning substantial returns. The victim was later persuaded to download a fraudulent trading application called SecuG Pro, which falsely claimed to offer shares at below-market prices.

To begin investing, the victim was instructed to transfer funds to personal bank accounts rather than accounts held by a licensed brokerage. As confidence grew, the fraudsters encouraged additional transfers, with the "assistant" reportedly pleading for more deposits to help her meet sales targets.

Police said the victim ultimately transferred HK$5 million before realising the investment platform was fraudulent.

Authorities warned that scammers increasingly combine fake investment advisers, attractive online personas and fabricated trading platforms to gain victims' trust before requesting repeated deposits.

Investors are urged to verify whether investment firms and trading platforms are properly licensed, avoid transferring funds to personal bank accounts, and remain cautious of unsolicited investment opportunities promoted through social media or messaging applications.