FDHs, top Consulate officials join anti-scam briefing by HK Police

 

This is how one can avoid getting involved in money laundering, says the police

Do not lend, sell or rent out your bank accounts.

This was the key message from the Hong Kong Police during a briefing session with about 180 foreign domestic helpers on the latest scam methods used by crime syndicates in Hong Kong, as well as measures adopted by law enforcers to combat them, held at the Kowloon East Police Regional Headquarters yesterday, June 2.

Also at the gathering were Philippine Consul General Germinia Aguilar-Usudan and her Indonesian counterpart, Yul Eddison, along with some of their top officials.

Representatives of two employment agency organizations, the HK Union of Employment Agencies and the all-Indonesian APPTKTI, helped coordinate the event.

Congen Usudan (in long dress) and her PCG team attended the briefing

During the briefing, police officers told the FDHs that allowing others to use their personal bank accounts for the receipt and transfer of criminal proceeds constitute the offense of “money laundering” under section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

The maximum penalty for violators is $5 million in fines and 14 years imprisonment.

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In recent years, a number of FDHs have been jailed for up to 10 months after their bank accounts were found to have been used to launder money from illegal activities such as romance, investment, employment and online shopping scams.

While they were not found to have made the criminal transactions themselves, they were found guilty of money laundering because the bank accounts in their names were used for the offence.

Graph shows how scammers are able to use someone else's account to launder money

In a recent case, an Eastern court magistrate explained that the test to be used in determining whether an accused “knew or had reason to believe that he or she is dealing with proceeds of a crime” which are the essential elements of money laundering, is objective, rather than subjective.

This means that it is what a reasonable person would conclude when the accused surrenders control over his or bank account that was used for money laundering.

Graphs used by the police in illustrating how one becomes complicit to a money laundering case by the simple act of selling her bank account, often for just a low amount.

Thus the police reminder to the participants: “Remember to protect yourself and remind your loved ones: Do Not Sell, Lend, or Rent Your Bank Accounts. Anti-scam efforts start with you.”

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