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Six arrested for a $7.5M "brushing" employment scam
At least 68 people have been conned out of HK$7.5 million in the latest “brushing” employment scam, for which six scammers were arrested.
The practice of “brushing” sees fake purchases generated through “brushers” hired by online sellers who want to boost transaction numbers in order to boost their sales figures so their shops will look more appealing to customers. “Brushers” are then given a commission.
But in the latest case, the “brushers”, also the victims, ended up using their own money to make the purchases, and failed to get any commission or refund.
The six suspects -- five men and one woman aged between 18 and 69, were arrested for conspiracy to defraud in an operation codenamed “Splitsound” carried out on Monday, police said.
Among the six were two core members of a crime syndicate, including 22-year-old man surnamed Mak and 57-year-old man surnamed Ngan.
“Mak claimed that he fell victim to separate online scams earlier, and thought that the rewards he gained from carrying out scams for his crime syndicate could make up his loss,” police said.
“As a result, he had set up both traditional and online banking accounts to pocket proceeds of the scams within a short period of time, and is linked to 38 scams involving around HK$3.78 million crime proceeds.”
Police said Ngan, who allegedly operated an unlicensed Renminbi money changer online, remitted proceeds of the scams worth over a million to a mainland banking account.
Meanwhile, the remaining suspects used their own banking account to pocket the proceeds of the scams in exchange for rewards from the syndicate.
New Territories South Regional Crime Unit chief inspector Chiew Tsi-huen said the suspects were merchant, waiter, mechanic, laundry shop employee, retiree and tertiary student respectively.
Chiew said the scams were committed between last September and this March, and one victim was conned out of as much as HK$400,000.
“One of the victims is a 28-year-old accountant, who has been arrested for “theft” as she stole nearly HK$2 million in funds from her company for the “brushing” activities last December,” he said.
He said the woman had been released on bail pending investigation, and should report to the police in mid-March.
Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau chief inspector Cheung Wai-ho said the crime syndicate published job advertisements that labeled “earning quick cash” on social media platforms so as to attract victims to work as “brushers”.
“The syndicate lured victims into shopping on various online platforms [using their own money] so as to brush up the sales figures of specific online sellers,” he said.
“It also promised the victims to return their deposits and give them a commission of five to 12 percent.”
Cheung said syndicate then instructed victims to deposit their earnings from the “brushing” exercises to its banking accounts, but was then out of reach once the victims did so.
Police retrieved six computers, seven routers, HK$210,000 in cash and 48 debit cards throughout the operation.
But in the latest case, the “brushers”, also the victims, ended up using their own money to make the purchases, and failed to get any commission or refund.
The six suspects -- five men and one woman aged between 18 and 69, were arrested for conspiracy to defraud in an operation codenamed “Splitsound” carried out on Monday, police said.
Among the six were two core members of a crime syndicate, including 22-year-old man surnamed Mak and 57-year-old man surnamed Ngan.
“Mak claimed that he fell victim to separate online scams earlier, and thought that the rewards he gained from carrying out scams for his crime syndicate could make up his loss,” police said.
“As a result, he had set up both traditional and online banking accounts to pocket proceeds of the scams within a short period of time, and is linked to 38 scams involving around HK$3.78 million crime proceeds.”
Police said Ngan, who allegedly operated an unlicensed Renminbi money changer online, remitted proceeds of the scams worth over a million to a mainland banking account.
Meanwhile, the remaining suspects used their own banking account to pocket the proceeds of the scams in exchange for rewards from the syndicate.
New Territories South Regional Crime Unit chief inspector Chiew Tsi-huen said the suspects were merchant, waiter, mechanic, laundry shop employee, retiree and tertiary student respectively.
Chiew said the scams were committed between last September and this March, and one victim was conned out of as much as HK$400,000.
“One of the victims is a 28-year-old accountant, who has been arrested for “theft” as she stole nearly HK$2 million in funds from her company for the “brushing” activities last December,” he said.
He said the woman had been released on bail pending investigation, and should report to the police in mid-March.
Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau chief inspector Cheung Wai-ho said the crime syndicate published job advertisements that labeled “earning quick cash” on social media platforms so as to attract victims to work as “brushers”.
“The syndicate lured victims into shopping on various online platforms [using their own money] so as to brush up the sales figures of specific online sellers,” he said.
“It also promised the victims to return their deposits and give them a commission of five to 12 percent.”
Cheung said syndicate then instructed victims to deposit their earnings from the “brushing” exercises to its banking accounts, but was then out of reach once the victims did so.
Police retrieved six computers, seven routers, HK$210,000 in cash and 48 debit cards throughout the operation.
