The Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) of the Hong Kong Police Force will expand its scheme of “Upstream Scam Intervention” starting tomorrow (January 2) to include sending SMS messages to potential scam victims as a means to provide timely alerts and advice.

     The ADCC has registered with the Office of the Communications Authority’s “Short Message Service (SMS) Sender Registration Scheme”, and its “Registered SMS Sender ID” is “#ADCC18222”. The SMS messages aim to send alerts and provide ways for verification and seeking assistance. The ADCC seizes this opportunity to remind members of the public that phishing or malicious messages often contain hyperlinks, QR codes or attachments for installing malicious software on victims’ devices to access sensitive information. Members of the public are urged to be cautious.

     In response to the evolving landscape of deception and the imperative need for proactive countermeasures, the ADCC launched the scheme of “Upstream Scam Intervention” in May 2023 in collaboration with 12 retail banks to enhance the efficacy of preventing deception and mitigating losses incurred by scam victims. By analysing suspicious bank accounts, the scheme identifies individuals who may be at risk of falling victim to scams. Through coordinated efforts between the banks and Police, in addition to contacting these potential victims via phone calls or police visits, the ADCC will expand its prevention efforts to include sending SMS alerts to provide timely warnings. During the interactions, the ADCC officers or bank personnel will provide the potential victims with the needed information, such as details of the implicated bank accounts that they have transacted with, to facilitate their verification and assessment. As of the end of November 2023, 579 ongoing deception cases were intervened under the scheme.

     Police reiterate that officers and bank personnel will never, under any circumstances, request the disclosure of personal information or banking credentials, nor the transfer of funds to any accounts during these interactions. To verify callers’ identities, the public can contact their respective banks or the ADCC directly via designated contact numbers. Individuals are encouraged to utilise Scameter on the CyberDefender website (https://cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/) or the mobile application Scameter+ to check if the recipient bank accounts are associated with any reported scams in order to verify whether their transaction counterparts are suspicious or high-risk.

     The scheme of “Upstream Scam Intervention” exemplifies the commitment of the ADCC and the banking sector to combating deception and minimising its impact on individuals and society, thereby fostering a more secure and resilient financial environment. The ADCC and the participating banks dedicate their efforts to ensuring that all engagements are conducted with the utmost professionalism and with the sole purpose of protecting individuals from scams. Members of the public shall remain vigilant against scams at all times and exercise circumspection in their financial dealings.

  

     The Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) today (January 1) announced that the nine-month transitional period for registration (i.e. April to December 2023) under the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime has ended. Existing dealers who have already submitted an application for registration during the transitional period are regarded as deemed registrants, until their applications are approved, rejected or withdrawn.
      
     According to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Cap. 615), the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Regulatory Regime has come into effect since April 1, 2023. Any person who is seeking to carry on a business of dealing in precious metals and stones in Hong Kong and engage in any transaction(s) (whether making or receiving a payment) with total value at or above HK$120,000 in Hong Kong is required to register with the Commissioner of Customs and Excise. Any dealer, other than a registrant, claims to be a registrant, claims to be authorised to carry out, or carries out any cash or non-cash transaction(s) with total value at or above HK$120,000 is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of HK$100,000 and imprisonment for six months.
      
     With the expiry of the transitional period, all dealers who submit their applications for registration from today onwards must successfully obtain relevant registration before they can carry out any cash or non-cash transaction(s) with total value at or above HK$120,000. Besides, the registration and relevant fees will no longer be waived. For the forms, procedures and guidelines to submit applications for registration, please visit the website for Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Registration System (www.drs.customs.gov.hk) or the C&ED's webpage (www.customs.gov.hk/en/service-enforcement-information/anti-money-laundering/supervision-of-dealers-in-precious-metals-and-ston/index.html).
      
     For enquiries, please call the enquiry hotlines at 3580 1483/3568 4248 (in Chinese) or 3580 1484 (in English), email to dpms_enquiry@customs.gov.hk or visit the office of the Dealers in Precious Metals and Stones Supervision Bureau of the C&ED (address: 26/F, Revenue Tower, 5 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong) during office hours.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:

Yellow fire danger warning

     The fire danger situation today (January 1) is yellow and the risk of fire is high. People are urged to prevent fires breaking out and hikers should also be vigilant.

Attention TV and radio duty announcers:

     Please broadcast the following special announcement as soon as possible, and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     A vegetation fire broke out in the vicinity of Ha Pak Nai in Lau Fau Shan at 7.16pm today (December 31). The Fire Services Department is conducting a firefighting operation.

     Members of the public who are being affected by the smoke and an unusual odour carried by the wind are advised to close their doors and windows and stay calm. 

    Police located a man who went missing in Wong Tai Sin.

    Wu Chung-yee, aged 83, went missing after he left his residence in Choi Wan Estate on December 27 morning. His family made a report to Police yesterday (December 30).

    Police located the man in Choi Wan Estate this afternoon (December 31). He sustained no injuries and no suspicious circumstances were detected.