Nine postal staff and five others netted for alleged bogus business transactions scam
2002-11-4
The ICAC has arrested 14 persons, including nine serving staff of the Hongkong Post, for alleged involvement in a fraudulent scheme to misappropriate cash proceeds by arranging bogus business transactions using credit cards for Speedpost service totalling $1 million.
The nine Hongkong Post staff arrested were a Superintendent of Posts, a Senior Postal Officer, five Postal Officers and two Postmen.
Also netted in the ICAC's operation, which commenced last Friday (November 1), were the wife of one of the Postal Officers arrested, a former Postal Officer, a clerk, and two drivers.
The case arose from a referral from the Hongkong Post, alleging that some postal staff might have accepted advantages to connive at a scam to obtain cash proceeds through bogus credit card transactions.
ICAC inquiries revealed that between January 2001 and March this year, the arrested postal staff had allegedly obtained $1 million cash proceeds paid by customers using Speedpost service.
In order to balance the books, the postal staff were alleged to have used 38 credit cards, belonging to themselves, their spouses or other persons, to create 470 bogus business transactions worth the same amount.
It was also believed that the arrestees had tried to earn reward points to redeem gifts from credit card companies through these bogus transactions.
The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. Enquiries into the corruption allegation are continuing.
The nine Hongkong Post staff arrested were a Superintendent of Posts, a Senior Postal Officer, five Postal Officers and two Postmen.
Also netted in the ICAC's operation, which commenced last Friday (November 1), were the wife of one of the Postal Officers arrested, a former Postal Officer, a clerk, and two drivers.
The case arose from a referral from the Hongkong Post, alleging that some postal staff might have accepted advantages to connive at a scam to obtain cash proceeds through bogus credit card transactions.
ICAC inquiries revealed that between January 2001 and March this year, the arrested postal staff had allegedly obtained $1 million cash proceeds paid by customers using Speedpost service.
In order to balance the books, the postal staff were alleged to have used 38 credit cards, belonging to themselves, their spouses or other persons, to create 470 bogus business transactions worth the same amount.
It was also believed that the arrestees had tried to earn reward points to redeem gifts from credit card companies through these bogus transactions.
The arrestees have been released on ICAC bail. Enquiries into the corruption allegation are continuing.