Police said on Wednesday that they have arrested a 17-year-old girl in suspicion of obtaining property by deception, adding that she’s believed to be involved in several other phone scams. Officers said they launched a probe after an 82-year-old man filed a report on Monday, saying that he had earlier received a call from someone claiming to be his son's friend. The caller claimed the man’s son had committed a criminal offence, and needed to pay HK$100,000 in bail money. Shortly after the suspect headed to the man's home to collect the cash, she asked for another HK$200,000. The girl was apprehended when she arrived at the 82-year-old’s apartment to pick up the second batch of money. Officers said follow-up investigation showed that the suspect could be linked to five other phone scams. The six victims, aged between 74 and 93, were believed to have lost around HK$478,000 between them. The girl remains in detention pending further investigation.
