Police hold Anti-Scam Carnival (with photos)
The Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB), the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB) and the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau (FIIB) of the Hong Kong Police Force held the Anti-Scam Carnival at the West Kowloon Cultural District today (December 14) to increase the public awareness of scam prevention, money laundering and cyber threats through thematic game booths, as well as various music, dance and magic performances, attracting over 8 500 participants.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), Mr Chow Yat-ming, said that Police recorded a total of 36 405 fraud cases as of October 2024, accounting for 46.3 per cent of the total crimes. This means nearly one in two crime cases being scams. The monetary loss involved reached $7.04 billion. Accompanying the rise in scams, money laundering cases has also increased by nearly 60 per cent as of October 2024, compared with the same period of 2023.
Mr Chow further pointed out that besides enforcement and publicity works, Police are committed to collaborating with various stakeholders to carry out anti-scam work comprehensively. For instance, since November 2023, Police have worked with the banking industry to implement several measures including the Suspicious Account Alert system. The alert mechanism extended its coverage to include online banking, e-wallets, and bank counter transactions starting from August this year. In December, the third phase of the system was rolled out to cover automated teller machines (ATMs), offering the public a more comprehensive protection. While saying that the support and co-operation of the public are essential, he urged members of the public to stay vigilant against deception, support Police anti-scam campaigns and share scam prevention information with friends and family to collectively guard against scams. The public are also reminded to pay attention to anti-money laundering messages, safeguard their personal accounts, and never rent, lend or sell their bank accounts or e-wallets to the third parties. It is important to remember: Your personal account, "Don't Rent, Don't Lend, Don't Sell!”, he added.
Also officiating at the ceremony were the Director of Crime and Security, Mr Yip Wan-lung; the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime), Ms Chung Wing-man; the Chief Superintendent of FIIB, Ms Cheng Lai-ki; the Chief Superintendent of CCB, Mr Yau Kin-hung; and the Chief Superintendent of CSTCB, Mr Lam Cheuk-ho.
The award presentation ceremony of the Anti-Scam Lucky Draw organised by the CSTCB was also held during the carnival. The grand prize winner received an electric vehicle. The large-scale lucky draw successfully drew widespread attention, rallying efforts of all sectors in society and attracting over 1.8 million participants. The total number of downloads of the mobile application Scameter+ has exceeded 840 000, with a significant increase of 47 per cent.
Mr Chow also presented souvenirs to representatives of various public and private organisations in recognition of their contribution to the event.
The Anti-Scam Carnival featured a variety of performances, including singing and dancing by performing groups, as well as magic shows and lion dance performance. An Anti-Scam Hub was also set up to educate the public on how to avoid falling into scams and money laundering traps. The carnival runs for two days on December 14 and 15 at the West Kowloon Cultural District. For more details, please visit the Anti-Scam Carnival website (www.police.gov.hk/ppp_en/04_crime_matters/asc2024.html).
