Hong Kong police arrest 13 on suspicion of trying to defraud government coronavirus relief fund

Hong Kong police arrested 13 people on Tuesday and Wednesday on suspicion of submitting bogus applications seeking more than HK$1.7 million (US$218,987) from the government’s coronavirus pandemic relief fund.

The five men and eight women, aged 23 to 67, were accused of using fake personal details and documents to file 42 applications between March of last year and this January seeking payments from the fund set up for struggling retailers, party rooms, and beauty and massage parlours.