₹9 lakh date scam: Fake lawyer eats, drinks, disappears; woman pays

Hong Kong police have arrested a 23-year-old man who allegedly posed as a lawyer and left his date to settle an extravagant restaurant bill of more than HK$80,000 (₹9 lakh).

The suspect, identified only by his surname Wong, was taken into custody in Tseung Kwan O on charges of obtaining property by deception. Officers also seized clothing believed to have been worn during the incident. He is currently under investigation by the Central District crime unit, according to The Standard.

The Lavish Date

The case began after a woman filed a complaint stating she had met Wong on the messaging app Telegram a year ago. Claiming to be a lawyer, Wong invited her to dinner at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Central on Thursday.

Over the course of the evening, the pair indulged in a HK$70,000 bottle of Krug Clos d’Ambonnay champagne and premium set dinners priced at HK$2,388 each. With tea and service charges, the final bill soared to HK$84,453.60.

The Disappearing Act

However, when it came time to pay, Wong excused himself to use the washroom—and never returned.

“According to the woman, the man arranged a bottle of wine for their dinner. As they were almost finished, he claimed he needed to use the washroom and vanished,” a police source told South China Morning Post.

Unable to reach him, the woman had to rely on her friends to help settle the enormous bill before reporting the incident to the police.

The Arrest

While she initially declined further assistance, the woman returned to file a second complaint the next day (Aug 29), which led to Wong’s arrest.

Police say investigations into the elaborate dinner scam are ongoing.