Woman jailed for one year for conspiracy to commit money laundering revealed in ICAC probe into impersonation phone scam
2023-4-13
Following the receipt of a complaint alleging impersonation of ICAC officers in phone scams, the Commission concluded an investigation and revealed that a woman received a few hundred RMB for visiting Hong Kong to open a bank account, which was subsequently operated by others to handle payments in phone scams. The woman was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (April 13).
Cai Yanhui, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deal with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei said the defendant actively participated in the case which involved cross-border element by visiting Hong Kong to open a bank account. Having considered the defendant’s guilty plea, her jail term was reduced to one year from a starting point of 18 months’ imprisonment.
The court heard that between November 2018 and February 2019, the defendant conspired with others to handle four sums of United States dollar and Canadian dollar, totalling about HK$500,000, in her bank account at Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK).
The investigation arose from a complaint filed with the ICAC alleging impersonation of the Commission’s officers in phone scams. It was revealed that in 2018, the defendant visited Hong Kong to open a bank account at BOCHK upon others’ arrangements and to let others operate it in exchange for RMB 800. When she acceded to the deal, she knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the account would be used illegally to launder crime proceeds.
Enquiries also revealed that scammers falsely claimed that the aforementioned bank account was held by an ICAC officer and requested phone scam victims to deposit money into it for asset clearance or investigation.
An ICAC spokesperson stresses that the Commission would not request members of the public to remit or deposit any money to designated bank accounts for asset clearance or investigation. Should members of the public receive any transfer or deposit requests made by people claimed to be ICAC officers, they are urged not to follow such instructions and report the matter to the ICAC at its hotline: 25 266 366.
BOCHK had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was represented by ICAC officer Simon Liu.
Cai Yanhui, 42, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to deal with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence, contrary to Section 25(1) of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance and Section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
In sentencing, Principal Magistrate Miss Ivy Chui Yee-mei said the defendant actively participated in the case which involved cross-border element by visiting Hong Kong to open a bank account. Having considered the defendant’s guilty plea, her jail term was reduced to one year from a starting point of 18 months’ imprisonment.
The court heard that between November 2018 and February 2019, the defendant conspired with others to handle four sums of United States dollar and Canadian dollar, totalling about HK$500,000, in her bank account at Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BOCHK).
The investigation arose from a complaint filed with the ICAC alleging impersonation of the Commission’s officers in phone scams. It was revealed that in 2018, the defendant visited Hong Kong to open a bank account at BOCHK upon others’ arrangements and to let others operate it in exchange for RMB 800. When she acceded to the deal, she knew or had reasonable grounds to believe that the account would be used illegally to launder crime proceeds.
Enquiries also revealed that scammers falsely claimed that the aforementioned bank account was held by an ICAC officer and requested phone scam victims to deposit money into it for asset clearance or investigation.
An ICAC spokesperson stresses that the Commission would not request members of the public to remit or deposit any money to designated bank accounts for asset clearance or investigation. Should members of the public receive any transfer or deposit requests made by people claimed to be ICAC officers, they are urged not to follow such instructions and report the matter to the ICAC at its hotline: 25 266 366.
BOCHK had rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was represented by ICAC officer Simon Liu.