A 66-year-old Hong Kong retiree lost 6.6 million Hong Kong dollars (roughly $840,000) in a string of three related crypto investment scams after repeatedly trusting self-proclaimed “virtual currency experts” who reached out via WhatsApp, according to Hong Kong police’s CyberDefender unit.
In a March 20 Facebook post, police said the victim was first approached in September 2025 by a scammer who contacted him unsolicited via WhatsApp, claiming to be a “virtual currency investment expert” and promising steady gains if he followed his advice.
The victim transferred $180,000 and deposited crypto into a wallet controlled by the scammer, who then disappeared, prompting a police report.
The case shows how fraudsters can recycle the same victim through successive schemes that start with “guaranteed profit” pitches and escalate into offers to recover funds that have already been stolen.
“Life has no take two; but scams can have take three,” the CyberDefender team wrote, warning that genuine professionals do not rely on random outreach and that phrases such as “guaranteed returns” and “inside information” are classic red flags.
**Related: **__How US investigators traced $61M in crypto tied to romance scams across wallets
_Hong Kong retiree loses $840,000 in triple crypto scam. Source: _CyberDefender
Triple “crypto expert” scam drains retiree’s savings
The victim later searched online for another “crypto expert” who claimed he could help recover the missing funds but demanded $75,000 as a security deposit.
_Related: _OpenClaw devs targeted by phishing scam promising free ‘CLAW’ tokens
In January, a third supposed specialist messaged the retiree on WhatsApp offering to reclaim both prior losses if the victim bought $585,000 in crypto and sent it to a specified address. Once the victim complied, that scammer disappeared as well, bringing the total losses over roughly six months to approximately $840,000.
Incident falls amid rising Web3 fraud
The case lands against a broader backdrop of mounting crypto-related crime. Web3 platforms saw about $3.95 billion in losses in 2025, with state-linked hackers and weak key security driving much of the damage, according to security firm Hacken.
Authorities worldwide have also flagged new waves of phishing and investment fraud, from the FBI’s recent warning over fake FBI tokens on Tron to India’s GainBitcoin probe and US efforts to forfeit $3.4 million in Tether tied to a multi-state investment scam.
Magazine: Influencers shilling memecoin scams face severe legal consequences
Cointelegraph is committed to independent, transparent journalism. This news article is produced in accordance with Cointelegraph’s Editorial Policy and aims to provide accurate and timely information. Readers are encouraged to verify information independently. Read our Editorial Policy
- #Cryptocurrencies
- #Fraud
- #Hong Kong
- #Scams
- #Social Engineering
- #Scams & Cybercrime
Disclaimer: The information on this page may come from third parties and does not represent the views or opinions of Gate. The content displayed on this page is for reference only and does not constitute any financial, investment, or legal advice. Gate does not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information and shall not be liable for any losses arising from the use of this information. Virtual asset investments carry high risks and are subject to significant price volatility. You may lose all of your invested principal. Please fully understand the relevant risks and make prudent decisions based on your own financial situation and risk tolerance. For details, please refer to
Disclaimer.
Related Articles
Denaria Suffers a Smart Contract Attack, Losing About $165,000
A decentralized perpetual contract trading platform Denaria announced that its smart contract was attacked, resulting in a loss of about $165k. The team is investigating with the auditors and has suspended the user interface while preparing a refund process. Denaria hopes to avoid legal action by inviting the attacker to contact them through a bounty program.
GateNews9m ago
XRPL Validator Sounds Alarm to XRP Users on Social Engineering Threat - U.Today
XRP Ledger validator Vet warns the XRP community after a social engineering scam drained $280 million from Solana's Drift Protocol, highlighting the need for caution and vigilance among builders in light of increasing crypto vulnerabilities.
UToday2h ago
The lawyer says the $280 million attack on Drift Protocol may constitute civil negligence
Attorney Ariel Givner said that the 280M-dollar attack incident involving the Drift Protocol, which resulted from failing to follow basic security procedures, could amount to civil negligence. The attacker, after 6 months of planning, used a trusting relationship to steal the developers’ devices; there is already a class-action lawsuit advertisement targeting Drift circulating.
GateNews11h ago
AI is making crypto's security problem even worse, Ledger CTO warns
Crypto platforms — and investors — have long suffered from hacker attacks and exploits. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) is making that threat even worse.
That’s the view of Charles Guillemet, chief technology officer at crypto wallet provider Ledger, who said the economics of cybersecurity are
CoinDesk21h ago
