The woman contacted police on March 2 and told them she had made a total of 10 payments after scammers told her her identity had been used in criminal activities in mainland China, according to a police statement sent to CNN on Wednesday.
The woman said she received a call in August 2020 from someone claiming to work in law enforcement in mainland China.
Then a man who claims to be a continental law enforcement officer visited her home and gave her a cell phone to communicate with, police said. The woman then made a series of transactions to two bank accounts, according to the instructions.
Police arrested a 19-year-old man on March 25. He was released on bail and is scheduled to report to police in late April, according to the statement.
The investigation is ongoing and several arrests could be made, police added.
The woman lives in the most expensive neighborhood in Hong Kong, an area called Peak, the South China Morning Post reported. The exclusive enclave is located at the highest point on the island of Hong Kong.
In October 2020, a 65-year-old woman paid $ 68.9 million ($ 8.9 million) to people she said accused her of money laundering in mainland China, she reported. South China Morning Post. Three men were arrested last week in connection with the incident, the newspaper added.