Editorial | Vital to stay one step ahead of scammers
- The number of such crimes is rising fast in Hong Kong, underlining the need for greater vigilance by authorities and the public
Criminals took a costly bite out of Hongkongers’ wallets last year through a range of scams, underscoring the continued need for the city to catch up with legislation, enforcement and public vigilance.
A stunning HK$9 billion was lost to the rising number of scam cases, which were part of the nearly 30 per cent overall surge in crimes reported in 2023 over the previous year, according to Police Commissioner Raymond Siu Chak-yee.
In his annual report to lawmakers last Tuesday, the police chief said the city recorded 90,276 crimes in 2023. Robberies and burglaries were the second lowest on record.
While such traditional offences rose from the previous year, the base of comparison was low since there were fewer crimes as the city was locked down because of the pandemic.
Months of isolation that drove many people online, however, were a factor in the sharp rise in scams. The more than 39,800 such cases police handled last year accounted for about 44 per cent of all recorded crimes.
It is encouraging that police arrested at least 9,239 suspects over scams and money-laundering offences last year, but nearly 70 per cent of the arrests were for offences related to a growing number of bank accounts used to launder money in criminal operations.