Hongkongers lose HK$220 million to customer service scams in August

In August, Hong Kong residents lost over HK$220 million (US$28.2 million) to scams perpetrated by fraudsters who impersonated customer service representatives, a significant increase from the monthly average over the first seven months of the year. Police attributed the surge in such scams to a shift from phishing links to direct phone calls, where scammers gained real-time control over victims using screen sharing or malicious apps that turned mobile phones into credit card readers.

The number of scams rose to more than 1,680 in August, a dramatic jump from an average of around 480 in the previous seven months. The majority of these cases, 17%, involved customer service scams, bringing total losses to nearly HK$700 million in that category alone. Scammers were particularly targeting banks, logistics firms, and telecoms companies, making phone calls and impersonating legitimate staff to manipulate victims into granting them control over their accounts.

Another method involved scammers posing as courier staff, claiming there was a problem with a delivery and demanding the victim's banking details to receive compensation, ultimately transferring funds to the scammers' accounts. Police have taken steps to combat these scams, including blocking fake sender IDs, intercepting bulk scam texts, and investigating those laundering proceeds from these crimes.

To protect consumers, the police urged individuals to verify customer service claims through official channels independently, and major courier companies like SF Express have moved to eliminate SMS notifications in favor of their official apps to reduce victimization rates.