Macau police arrest duo in casino scam with $42,000 in fake chips
Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ) have arrested two men for their involvement in a counterfeit casino chip scheme that defrauded at least 13 individuals, including five illegal money changers, out of HKD 330,000 (USD $42,000).
The suspects, Zhao (31) and Gao (39), were apprehended on 27 March after attempting to use high-quality fake chips, each valued at HKD 10,000($1,270). The chips closely resembled authentic casino chips in appearance, size, and weight, making them difficult to detect without professional equipment.
Macau casino fraud scheme exposed
According to PJ spokesperson Chao Teng Hin, the two men entered Macau at 8 pm. They headed to a casino in the city centre, where they carried out exchange scams against gamblers and money changers. By 9:30 pm, the casino identified the counterfeit chips and alerted authorities. During the investigation, PJ officers recovered 46 fake chips, including seven that Zhao had discarded in a trash bin while trying to flee.
Under questioning, Zhao and Gao admitted they were recruited by a mainland-based mastermind and were promised a 10% share of the illicit earnings. The victims, all mainlanders, suffered individual losses ranging from HKD 10,000 to HKD 60,000 ($1,270 to $7,650).
During a special press conference, the spokesperson said that three additional suspects remain at large. Zhao and Gao have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on fraud charges involving a significant sum of money. Authorities have also launched separate investigations into the five money changers for suspected illegal currency exchange activities.
Earlier last week, Macau police arrested seven people, aged 24 to 41, for their alleged involvement in a fake casino chip scam that has caused losses exceeding HK$1.2 million ($154,320) since July. Officers seized 128 counterfeit chips, each valued at HK$10,000 ($1,286). They identified 17 victims -16 men and one woman, all non-residents of Macau, including five currency exchange providers. More than ten other suspects, including the alleged ringleader, remain at large. The arrested individuals face charges of organised crime, large-scale fraud, and gambling-related deception, with their cases forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office.
The crackdown comes amid Macau’s stricter gambling laws, which took effect last October, banning online gambling operations and increasing penalties for illegal gambling to up to eight years in prison, with a maximum pretrial detention period of one year.
