"The alleged syndicate impersonated courier companies and sent SMS messages with hyperlinks to fake websites, asking victims to pay low amounts for purported 'failed delivery' charges with credit cards online," cyber security and technology crime bureau superintendent Wilson Tam Wai-shun said.

They then used the information to buy goods for resale. Police believe 183 people fell victim and recovered HK$190,000 in cash.

That came as a 70-year-old retired nurse lost HK$14 million in another fake "government official" telephone scam.

A "Department of Health official" phoned her saying she was accused of violating Covid rules and a "follow-up official" later said she was involved in a mainland money laundering case, asking her to provide bank account information to "prove her innocence."

She deposited HK$5.2 million into her account in mid-September, and cashed in all her stocks and deposited HK$8.8 million a month later.

Two fraudsters transferred the money into six local bank accounts on 53 occasions between September 30 and October 26.