Education Sector Fraudster Falsely Claims to Guarantee University Admission, Swindles HK$2.84 Million in Consultancy Fees

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A parent-teacher association (PTA) leader surnamed Ting on Hong Kong Island, who is involved in debt litigation, has been accused of posing as a cultural relics authentication expert and carrying out fraud for years. Recently, he was reported to have used his PTA position to falsely claim to a consultant at a mainland education institution that he could provide admission places at Kiangsu-Chekiang College and arrange admission to universities in Hong Kong and Macao, inducing the consultant to apply on behalf of 37 students and swindling about HK$2.84 million. He was arrested by police at the airport while attempting to leave Hong Kong.

The arrested man, Ting, aged 51, claimed to be a businessman. The female victim in the case, surnamed Yeung (45), is a consultant at a mainland education agency. It is understood that the two were introduced to each other by a mutual friend earlier. According to the case details, on 1 March 2024, Ting and Yeung signed a contract in which he claimed to have a means of obtaining 50 secondary school places at Kiangsu-Chekiang College for Yeung's students. During this period, Ting also made an oral promise that as long as the students completed the relevant courses at Kiangsu-Chekiang College, they would be guaranteed admission to universities in Hong Kong or Macao "regardless of their DSE results."

Yeung believed the claims and, between April and July 2024, transferred a total of about HK$2.84 million in 23 separate payments to a mainland bank account designated by Ting as application fees for 37 students. However, after the funds were transferred, the students never received any admission or enrolment invitation from Kiangsu-Chekiang College or any higher education institution in Hong Kong or Macao. Yeung subsequently tried to contact Ting to follow up on the progress but to no avail, and Ting lost contact. Only then did Yeung realise she had been defrauded and reported the case to Hong Kong police in early May this year.

The case was subsequently taken over by the first team of the Regional Crime Unit of Hung Hom Police District. After identifying the suspect, investigators launched a pursuit and intercepted and arrested Ting on 29 July as he attempted to leave Hong Kong via Hong Kong International Airport. The case is being handled as a fraud case.