Hong Kong WhatsApp hijacking scams surge 170% to nearly 2,000 cases

In Hong Kong, WhatsApp account hijacking scams have surged by a staggering 170% to nearly 2,000 cases in the first seven months of this year, with one victim losing up to HK$12.2 million (US$1.55 million). Police reported 1,993 cases from January to July, a 169.7% increase compared to 739 cases in the same period last year. These figures surpassed the 1,669 cases logged in all of 2025.

The losses amounted to HK$146.3 million, a 22.7% decrease from HK$189.2 million over the same period in 2025. Despite the reduced total loss, police warned that the threat remains significant, with some victims losing between HK$1 million and over HK$10 million. Superintendent Hui Yee-wai of the cyber security and technology crime bureau's force explained that the rise in cases was linked to residents' habits on social media and instant messaging platforms, and AI has made generating fake websites easier.

WhatsApp account hijacking entails fraudsters impersonating friends, relatives, or using fake WhatsApp websites to obtain phone numbers and app registration codes. After gaining access, they message the victim's contacts to solicit money or extract personal information. In one instance, a 32-year-old man fell victim in March after receiving fake WhatsApp messages from scammers, who impersonated his property agent and lawyer, demanding a large deposit for a property purchase, resulting in a loss of more than HK$1.1 million.

Another case involved a man losing over HK$10 million after fraudsters hijacked his father's WhatsApp account using suspected AI-generated voice messages to scam him into making multiple transfers. Chief Inspector Wong Cheung-hing advised the public to be vigilant, avoid relying solely on WhatsApp messages to determine someone's identity, verify the recipient's account before transferring funds, regularly check linked devices on WhatsApp, and be cautious about publicly available personal information on social media.

The total number of instant messaging account hijacking scams rose to 2,020 cases from January to July, involving HK$150 million in losses, a 154.1% increase from 795 cases and HK$18,000 in losses in the same period last year. Additionally, the force recorded 16,437 technology-related crimes with a total loss of HK$3.08 billion, compared to 19,080 cases and HK$3.64 billion in losses in 2025.

Philip Chua, Meta Platforms' Asia-Pacific director of public policy for WhatsApp and Facebook, highlighted the challenges posed by transnational criminal syndicates using various tactics to profit billions of dollars, including interfering with broadcast powers, creating websites, and compromising personal information. Meta is committed to protecting its users in Hong Kong through measures such as displaying more information about unknown callers and preventing suspicious links from appearing in chats.