14th August 2025 – (Hong Kong) 53-year-old man was arrested yesterday on charges of conspiracy to defraud after allegedly providing his personal information to a fraud syndicate to register a Amap taxi account. The account was then used by unauthorised drivers from mainland China to transport passengers for profit. Police are pursuing three additional suspects, including a key syndicate member responsible for recruiting account holders, organising drivers, and collecting commissions, as well as a Mainland driver and a vehicle owner involved in the operation.
According to the police, impersonating others on ride-hailing platforms to accept passenger bookings for financial gain constitutes conspiracy to defraud and carries criminal liability. Such actions were described as “highly unethical” by law enforcement officials.
Li Muk-yik, Superintendent of Operations at the New Territories South Regional Crime Headquarters, detailed the case, stating that a passenger reported a suspicious driver on 1st August. The passenger had booked a ride via a ride-hailing app in Tsuen Wan and noticed the driver was unfamiliar with the route and only spoke Mandarin. Upon questioning, the driver admitted to not holding a Hong Kong identity card. Suspicious of illegal labour, the passenger reported the incident to the police after alighting.
Investigations by the New Territories South Traffic and Crime Divisions uncovered a fraud syndicate behind the operation. The syndicate recruited individuals to open accounts on ride-hailing platforms via third-party service providers and then assigned unauthorised drivers to use these accounts for passenger bookings. The syndicate profited by taking commissions, while the qualifications of the drivers went unchecked.
Under Hong Kong’s Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), it is illegal to drive or allow others to drive a vehicle for hire or reward without the appropriate licences. First-time offenders face a fine of up to HK$10,000 and six months’ imprisonment. Repeat offenders could be fined HK$25,000 and jailed for 12 months, with their vehicle licences suspended for 6 to 12 months.
The police pledged to continue targeted enforcement actions in collaboration with the Transport Department and the Immigration Department to combat illegal ride-hailing and passenger transport activities. If other crimes, such as breaching conditions of stay, are identified during these operations, further investigations and prosecutions will be pursued.
Authorities urged the public to use only legally licensed transportation services, as vehicles operating without proper permits may lack valid third-party insurance. This could leave passengers and other road users without protection in the event of an accident. Anyone suspecting illegal ride-hailing activities is encouraged to report them to the police.
The case has sparked broader concerns about the Amap Taxi platform’s vulnerabilities. A passenger uploaded a video to Threads showing their interaction with a driver who admitted to working in Hong Kong without a local identity card. The driver, who used a rented private car, claimed that the platform did not currently require Hong Kong identity cards but suggested new restrictions might be introduced in September.
The passenger acknowledged the driver’s competency but emphasised the illegality of their actions, citing the lack of third-party insurance and the potential risks to road safety. They criticised the platform’s lax driver vetting process, stating, “How can they allow unauthorised workers to operate on Hong Kong roads? This endangers other road users.”