Campaign warns the public to be more wary after tricksters take millions
The amount of money stolen from gullible people by street cheats is soaring, although the number of such cases is falling.
And the prevalence of 'blessing scams' in which tricksters persuade their victims to part with large sums of money to appease the spirits and ward off bad luck, is rising, despite government efforts to warn against them.
In the first three months of the year con artists took $5.68 million from victims, compared with $4.37 million a year earlier - a rise of 30 per cent.
The number of reported cases fell from 113 to 106.
Blessing scams accounted for 41 of the cases compared with 29 the previous year, assistant regional crime prevention officer of Kowloon East Leung Hon-chiu said.
New Territories South had the most street scams in the first quarter, with 27 cases, ahead of Hong Kong Island with 22 cases, and Kowloon East with 21, he said.