Picture Source: Online
According to the police, in the first five months of this year, there were a total of 15,750 fraud cases reported in Hong Kong. The New Territories South Region accounted for 22.9% or 3,603 of these cases, making up approximately 47.9% of the total crime in the region. The associated financial losses have increased compared to the same period last year, rising from HK$517 million to HK$647 million, a 25% increase. On average, scammers are pocketing around HK$4.25 million per day, a concerning situation.
Among the 3,603 fraud cases in the New Territories South Region, over 40% of the victims reside in public housing estates. It is believed that targeted anti-scam strategies and enhanced awareness campaigns need to be implemented specifically for public housing residents. To address this issue, the New Territories South Regional Headquarters held a press conference yesterday (10th) to launch the Project "Home Sweet Home" and promote anti-scam messages. Ms. Tse, a public housing resident from Sha Tin, shared her experience of being scammed, emphasizing that scammers employ various deceptive tactics and easily convince victims, leading to losses of up to HK$30,000.
The fraudsters referred to the victim as "godmother" and deceived her into losing HK$30,000 in a phone scam.
Ms. Tse shared her experience of being scammed during the meeting. The fraudsters called her and introduced a loan program. Ms. Tse was attracted by the low interest rate and agreed without much thought. She first paid HK$10,000 as a "deposit" to borrow HK$100,000. Later, the fraudsters took the opportunity to ask if she wanted to "upgrade," and Ms. Tse paid an additional HK$20,000 to borrow HK$200,000. Eventually, the fraudsters disappeared without a trace, and Ms. Tse was deceived out of a total of HK$30,000.
The case started with phone calls and then transitioned to contact through WhatsApp, lasting for several weeks. During the process, multiple fraudsters played different roles to deceive her, such as pretending to be employees from the company's accounting department or security department, giving Ms. Tse a sense of security and convincing her. "The fraudsters were very skillful, and I fell into their trap step by step," she said. She mentioned that the fraudsters would pretend to care about her, calling her "godmother" and inviting her for tea, gradually luring her deeper into the scam.
Project HomeSweetHome
The project will consist of three waves starting from July, including the "Anti-Scam Flyers in Mailboxes," "Mini Anti-Scam Carnival," and "Estate Anti-Scam Information Stations." The police will gradually distribute anti-scam flyers into the mailboxes of 260,000 public housing residents in the New Territories South Region, ensuring that anti-scam messages truly reach their homes. They will also arrange an "Anti-Scam Promotion Vehicle" to visit four districts, enabling direct interaction between citizens and officers from the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre. In late August, anti-scam information stations will be set up within housing estates, accompanied by the distribution of souvenirs, to ensure continuous access to anti-scam information by residents. The plan represents a new initiative for the region, with a focus on protecting public housing residents who are particularly vulnerable to scams. The hope is that the effectiveness of anti-scam measures will continue to improve.