To mark the opening of the "Anti-Scam Month" campaign, Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) of the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) today (August 19) launched a new series of anti-scam promotional videos to be broadcast on various platforms. The “Anti-Scam Month” campaign will be held from mid-August to September, aiming to raise public awareness of the latest scam tactics, with a particular focus on the recent surge in "Impersonating Customer Service" scams. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) will jointly promote anti-scam initiatives targeting Mainland students studying in Hong Kong.
Significant increase in scam cases
From January to June 2024, Police recorded a total of 19 897 scam cases, accounting for approximately 44 per cent of all crimes, representing a 6.2 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The financial losses amounted to $ 4.48 billion, a significant 66.5 per cent rise from the previous year. Among these cases, "Impersonating Customer Service" scams have increased significantly, involving a total loss of $379 million.
Senior Superintendent of the CCB, Ms Tsang Nga-sze, highlighted that 1 111 "Impersonating Customer Service" scams were reported to Police in July, with losses amounting to $205 million. Ms Tsang emphasised that scammers’ tactics have become increasingly sophisticated, allowing them to swindle victims out of their personal information and financial assets. She urged the public to remain vigilant against such scams.
“Pretend Officials” scams persist
Superintendent of the CCB, Ms Lee Wai-see, said that September and October are high-risk months during which Mainland students in Hong Kong are prone to “Pretend Officials” scams. For example in 2023, 170 Mainland students in Hong Kong fell victim to such scams in the two months, accounting for 74 per cent of all victims. From January to June 2024, there were 481 reported cases of “Pretend Officials” scams, with 96 victims (19.9 per cent) being Mainland students in Hong Kong, resulting in a total loss of $88million. In response, Police, in collaboration with the HKMA and the banking sector, have introduced targeted measures for Mainland students in Hong Kong from August.
Joint efforts to combat scams
The Executive Director (Enforcement and AML) of the HKMA, Mr Raymond Chan, said, “in response to the latest trend and tactics in fraud and scams, the HKMA will join hands with the banking industry to collaborate with Police in enhancing public awareness, including raising alertness of Mainland students in Hong Kong and heightening public vigilance against scams impersonating customer service. In addition, the HKMA will further promote the adoption of Regtech by banks and support the work to expand bank-to-bank information sharing for more effective detection and prevention of frauds and mule accounts. With close collaboration among Police, the HKMA, the banking industry and the public, we can form a powerful anti-deception ecosystem to collectively combat fraud and scams in all aspects.”
Survival guide for Mainland students
The ADCC will promote anti-scam messages through multiple channels during the "Anti-Scam Month". In collaboration with the HKMA and the banking industry, the ADCC will also introduce the "Survival Guide”, an initiative specifically designed for Mainland students in Hong Kong. Frontline bank staff will distribute and explain the "Survival Guide” to the Mainland students who open accounts at banks. The ADCC will also distribute the guide in various districts to raise the anti-scam awareness of Mainland students in Hong Kong and members of public.
New series of anti-scam promotional videos: Escape from Scams
The ADCC has launched a new series of publicity videos composed of three episodes with “Escape from Scams” as the main theme. The story centres on the experiences of a family of four who encounters scammers, illustrating the family’s struggles in facing different types of scams. The crises – the mother experiencing an online shopping scam, the father falling into an investment scam, and the grandfather receiving calls purportedly from customer services and officials – are resolved one by one with the help of the resourceful daughter.
Ice-cream van “Escape from Scams”
The ADCC is deploying the ice-cream van “Escape from Scams” to meet the public and distribute free ice-cream from today to August 23 in various districts in Hong Kong, promoting anti-scam messages. From August 25, the ADCC staff and the ice-cream van will visit university campuses to introduce the latest modus operandi of scams to students. For details of the event and anti-deception messages, please visit the official website of the ADCC (www.adcc.gov.hk).
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