HK Retired Man, 61, Loses HKD 2.5M in ‘Pig-Butchering’ Romance Scam

A 61-year-old retired man lost over HKD 2.5 million after falling for an online romance turned investment scam, Hong Kong police’s “CyberDefender” platform revealed.

The victim met a woman on Facebook who claimed to work in IT in Taiwan. Their daily chats quickly grew affectionate, and they developed an online romantic relationship.

After weeks of sweet talk, the woman steered the conversation toward “investing in US stocks.” She claimed to know the market well and sent him a link to a fake investment website. The site boasted an AI analytics system and “stable high-return” strategies.

Trusting her, the victim transferred funds multiple times to unknown personal bank accounts. When the website later became inaccessible and his messages went unanswered, he realised he had been scammed. Total loss: over HKD 2.5 million.

Police warn this is a classic “pig-butchering” scam – where fraudsters build emotional trust before draining victims’ savings.