Fraudsters fleece Dunedin's Chinese business community

Photo / File

Fraudsters have fleeced thousands of dollars from Dunedin's Chinese business community, police warn.

As part of the modus operandi, the scam artists have approached Dunedin takeaway shops with a business proposition, Detective Neville Aiken said.

That business proposition involved supplying meal orders to employees working in factories, he said.

"As part of the fraud, complex business dealings evolved from there."

At least two businesses within the city's Chinese community had been fleeced of thousands of dollars, he said.

"It is unknown how many other business owners might have been targeted, but we are keen to hear from anyone who has," he said.

The offending took place in 2012 and 2013, with the offenders described as being of Chinese descent and aged between 40 and 75 years.

The offenders were not believed to live locally.

Police had been working with the Chinese community to warn them of the scam.