New Delhi, July 24 -- Nearly 20 people in Hong Kong lost over HK$10 million (nearly Rs.11 crore) in online love scams in just two weeks. According to police, 40% of the victims are above 60 years old.

One victim, a 70-year-old man, lost his life savings. He also ended up with a loan of nearly HK$1 million (nearly Rs.11 lakh).

It started two months ago when he received a WhatsApp message. A woman claimed she was his neighbour and said there was a water leak in her flat. She later said she had messaged the wrong person. However, they kept talking and slowly developed an online relationship.

The woman, who was actually a scammer, sent romantic messages and claimed she had insider knowledge about cryptocurrency. She told the man things lik...