Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have arrested 13 people for their alleged roles in the laundering of more than HK$53 million (US$6.8 million) in criminal proceeds by tricking jobseekers into handing over their personal information.

City police seized the identity details of more than 100 residents, as well as a large number of bank cards and documents, thought to have been used by the gang for money laundering, while also freezing a total of HK$1.62 million in assets from those arrested, who are further accused of helping to run illegal betting websites.

Senior Superintendent Cheng Lai-ki said law enforcement authorities from both sides of the border conducted a three-day operation to arrest members of the crime syndicate.

The group allegedly lured victims with the promise of easy money and high-paying jobs only to use the details they submitted to set up bank accounts and other means for laundering its ill-gotten gains.

Between June 2019 and April this year, the gang is believed to have handled about HK$53 million in criminal proceeds.

Hong Kong police arrested 12 men and women during the operation, aged between 20 and 42, some of whom were picked up from a Fo Tan factory building.

Among the arrested were the alleged masterminds of the syndicate, which is now believed to have been dismantled.

Mainland authorities have also arrested a 29-year-old man in Henan province said to have modified identity card information and photos. He is currently detained.

Large quantities of cash, computers and phone cards containing the private information of more than 100 Hong Kong identity cards were also seized.

The ID cards are understood to belong to residents who provided their personal information when they were responding to what they thought were legitimate job postings.

Cheng said the syndicate tried to lure residents to submit applications over the internet by posting vacancies and “quick money” schemes on social media and job search websites.

The adverts would refer to high salaries and financial returns, even for jobseekers with little experience.

“The jobseekers would then be requested to submit a copy of their Hong Kong identity cards for authentication purposes. Of course, after the criminals received the copies, they did not actually find jobs for them, but they sent their IDs over to syndicate members on the mainland,” Cheng told a Sunday press conference.

Under the con, the information received from the ID card and photos would be modified and falsified on the mainland.

The syndicate then uses the details to open stored-value payment tools and puppet bank accounts for money-laundering purposes and accepting illegal bets.

It is believed the criminals tampered with their victims’ personal data outside Hong Kong to make their activities harder to trace, according to Cheng.

Police said the criminal group also operated an illegal-gambling website, soliciting punters through social-networking sites and instant-messaging software.

They also took illegal bets on sports such as horse racing and football, including the ongoing UEFA European Championship.

Cheng warned the public to be more wary about sharing their personal information or bank account details.

“I believe many people will be finding jobs in the summer, but we hope the public will take note not to give out their personal details or give a copy of your ID to others too easily, because there’s a chance it will be used for illegal purposes like money laundering,” she said.