Phone scammers use Hong Kong government’s HK$10,000 handout scheme to pose as staff offering registration help
- Police warn of new ruse with fraudsters pretending to be bank staff or government employees asking for personal details
- Alert comes amid rise in phone scams in general, with 348 people duped out of HK$140 million in first four months of the year
Scammers are posing as Hong Kong civil servants or bank staff over the phone and offering to help residents register for the government’s HK$10,000 handout scheme, police have warned.
The new ruse has prompted the force’s Anti-deception Coordination Centre to issue an alert amid a sharp rise in phone scams in general, with 348 people duped out of HK$140 million (US$18.1 million) in the first four months of the year.
The number of victims more than doubled from 165 over the same period last year, while the total amount lost shot up 250 per cent.
The centre warned that swindlers impersonated bank staff or officers of government departments, claiming they could help register applicants for the cash handout.
“Victims were requested to provide their personal particulars such as their names, ID and bank account details.”
The centre also said it had received inquiries recently from the public about such calls.
A police source said those who called the centre did not suffer any monetary loss and the alert was issued as a precautionary measure.
Police have noticed a surge in phone scams in recent months, where criminals trick victims into revealing their online banking details and passwords. Earlier this year, fraudsters used this ploy to dupe a 76-year-old woman out of HK$25 million, by accusing her of violating mainland Chinese laws.