Police arrest 269 people over technology scams

In a recent two-week operation, police have made 269 arrests in relation to 203 technology scam cases, resulting in a total loss of HK$320 million. Superintendent Kwok Ching-yee of the Commercial Crime Bureau explained that officers managed to recover HK$2.5 million of the stolen funds. The majority of these cases involved phone scams, online shopping fraud, and investment fraud.

One of the most significant losses was in a phone scam where fraudsters impersonated Alipay customer service staff. The victim was tricked into sending money to cancel an insurance policy after being misled by a phishing link sent via WhatsApp. This particular scam resulted in a loss of nearly HK$4 million for the victim as they made 13 bank transactions.

Superintendent Kwok emphasized the importance of verifying calls through the Alipay app before taking any action. She also warned the public about scammers posing as staff from SF Express, a courier firm that stopped using phone calls and SMS messages in April, opting instead for its official app for customer support.

During the operation, police also cracked a syndicate that had been using counterfeit Hong Kong ID cards to open bank accounts for money laundering. Over a period of more than a year, the syndicate made over 200 attempts to open new accounts across three local banks and a stored-value payment operator. They successfully established 42 accounts, 14 of which were utilized for money laundering purposes. The counterfeit IDs were created using AI image-editing software to alter faces on stolen or lost cards.

The police have advised the public never to share selfie photographs as a precaution against identity theft.