Travel agency bosses arrested over HK travel trade relief scam

Friday, 20 Dec, 2020 0

Travel agency directors are among dozens of people arrested, accused of conspiracy to scam the Hong Kong government’s travel agency relief scheme.

The Travel Agents and Practitioners Support Scheme was introduced to help HK travel and tour agencies stay afloat offering one-time subsidies of up to HK$200,000 depending on their number of employees.

According to the South China Morning Post, 62 people were arrested and bailed for making bogus applications for seven travel agencies.

The applications contained false information and documents in trying to claim a total of HK2.84 million (US$366,000).

The Travel Agents Registry became suspicious and alerted police, said Chief Inspector Ho Siu-tung, of the Wan Chai district crime unit.

"We found that the suspected seven travel agents originally employed only two to five staff, but they claimed to have 11 to 20 employees in their applications with forged wage receipts, employment contracts and MPF documents," he said.

Police believe the scam was hatched by the directors of the travel agencies who asked family and friends to register bogus claims for salary relief.

"Most of the arrested are not the employees of the travel agents. They are the relatives or friends of the agencies’ directors," said Police Senior Inspector Tang Yee-nar.

Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

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