Hong Kong police upgrade reporting system, create new unit to tackle rise in cybercrimes
- New reporting system includes more features to help users share key details on suspects and dubious bank transactions
- Overhaul in response to surge in cybercrimes, with police logging 10,613 incidents between January and June
Hong Kong police upgraded their reporting system for cybercrimes and online scams on Monday to combat a rise in such cases, with a new unit established to analyse incidents.
Wong Yam-wing, chief inspector of the new department, e-Crime Processing and Analysis Hub (e-Hub), said the force’s e-Report Centre was revamped in response to an increase in such offences.
“e-Hub was established to respond to reports from the public and integrate resources effectively in a one-stop platform to combat related syndicates and prevent the spread of scam cases,” he said.
Police logged 10,613 instances of online scams or other cyber offences between January and June, with victims losing about HK$1.58 billion (US$201 million) in total. The number of cases was up by 46 per cent from the 7,270 recorded during the same period last year.
The previous system allowed the public to report crime by typing in a brief summary of the incident, including details of the suspect or entity allegedly involved and hyperlinks for any suspicious websites.
The new platform guides users on how to include more information in their reports to police, with victims able to share bank details and accounts involved in suspicious transactions.
In addition to filing suspects’ names, known aliases and contact numbers, users can also report dubious social media and bank accounts for analysis by the force’s enhanced system.
