Hongkongers swindled out of HK$136 million by online scammers in just 1 week, as police warn about internet fraud

Police say 764 reports of online scams received last week, with losses reaching HK$136 million, as they urge public to use ‘Scameter’ tool to detect fraud

One recent case involved rare in-person transactions with businesswoman duped out of HK$41 million worth of cryptocurrency through bogus trading platform

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Reports of online technology crimes accounted for 85 per cent of all deception cases last year. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:39am, 1 Apr 2024Updated: 6:12pm, 1 Apr 2024

Online scammers swindled Hongkongers out of more than HK$136 million (US$17 million) in the space of a week, prompting police to warn the public to stay alert for internet fraud.

The force’s latest alert on its CyberDefender Facebook page said it had received 764 reports of online scams last week.

“Financial losses across all the cases amounted to more than HK$136 million,” police said, reminding residents to remain vigilant against different types of deception.

The force issued the alert on Friday, a day after officers revealed a new tactic used to dupe a businesswoman out of HK$41 million worth of cryptocurrency in an online investment fraud.

Inspector Leung Man-yee on Thursday said the fraudsters had orchestrated in-person transactions to lower the victim’s guard and trick her into going along with the scam. Police said online investment scammers did not usually meet their victims.

Police are urging residents to use the force’s “Scameter” search engine or mobile app to check for suspicious or fraudulent schemes. Photo: SCMP

The 56-year-old woman fell prey after responding to an online message sent by a scammer who then convinced her to set up an account on a sham trading platform to invest in virtual currencies.

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