Hong Kong buyer loses HK$1.23 million in 80 payments to fake laptop seller

A Hong Kong buyer lost HK$1.23 million after making 80 transfers over 30 days to a scammer posing as a secondhand laptop seller. Some payments were routed through Bitcoin ATMs, making recovery unlikely because crypto transactions are largely irreversible. Police said the “sunk cost” mindset kept the victim sending new fees, each framed as the final step to unlock delivery.