Two suspects - one of them a 16-year-old
boy - have been arrested in Hong Kong for allegedly tricking people into
handing over cash claiming they were collecting for the earthquake victims of
Sichuan.
Police said Tuesday, the 16-year-old old had posted a message on an internet
forum with the intention of luring people into giving him money.
The second man, aged 32, had posted notices around the screens of automatic
teller machines asking that donations for emergency relief be submitted to a
specific a bank account.
Investigations showed that around 8,000 Hong Kong dollars (1,025 US dollars)
had been deposited into the account, which was the suspect's personal account.
Both men were arrested for attempting to obtain property by deception. The
16-year-old, who could also face charges of dishonest use of a computer, was
released on bail after his arrest last Friday.
The 32-year-old was detained by police Monday night for further inquiries.
Police have warned people to be on their guard against fraudsters taking
advantage of the public's grief over the earthquake last Monday.
Hong Kong residents have so far donated more than 115 million US dollars to
help the victims of the earthquake which left 50,000 dead or missing and 4.8
million people homeless, dpa reported.