{
  "id": 11574379,
  "title": "Police issue warning on new types of scams",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/police-issue-warning-on-new-types-of-scams-11574379",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-03T01:16:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTHK News",
    "slug": "rthk-news",
    "url": "https://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1872523-20261003.htm"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Police have warned residents about emerging scam tactics, particularly those employing remote credit card payments and fraudulent account registration. In the first quarter of the year, scammers posed as customer service agents in around 5,000 cases, accounting for 17 percent of all reported fraud. In August alone, there were 1,680 impersonation cases, a sharp increase from the previous seven months' average of 480 cases, leading to over HK$220 million in losses. Chief Inspector Wong Cheung-hing explained that scammers now exploit two new techniques. The first involves instructing victims to download malware, enable Near Field Communication, and hold their credit card near their phone, enabling scammers to make payments remotely. The second tactic involves asking victims to register a new bank account as a payee and input a verification code into their e-banking platform, which they inadvertently authorize for money transfers. Banks first reported these tactics in August, though exact victim numbers are still being determined. Almost half of all scam victims fall between the ages of 31 and 50, indicating that any age group could be targeted. The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) reported that over 880 companies and institutions joined the SMS Sender Registration Scheme by the end of August, allowing the public to verify if messages are genuine via a sender ID with a # prefix. Banks and telecommunications firms are required to join, but firms in other sectors participate voluntarily due to business considerations. OFCA encourages more firms to join the scheme while exploring additional methods to intercept fraudulent messages, but acknowledges that not all incoming SMS can be assumed to be scams.",
  "summary": "Police have urged residents to stay alert to new tactics used by scammers posing as customer service agents, including a technique that effectively allows scammers to use victim's credit cards remotely. The force said around 5,000 scam cases between January and August involved fraudsters posing as customer service staff, accounting for 17 percent of all reported fraud during the period. In August…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "RTHK English",
        "title": "Police issue warning on new types of scams",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/03/police-issue-warning-on-new-types-of-scams",
        "published": "2026-10-03T01:16:44.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}