Hong Kong: updates on recent scam techniques
Recently the COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new wave of fraudulent schemes.
Opportunistic fraudsters exist in their numbers and will take advantage of new chances to scam individuals. Recent scams leveraging the fears and anxieties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic provide proof of this. Remaining vigilant against such criminal activity comes through understanding the techniques that may be used against you. If you are unfortunate enough to be a victim of fraud, knowing how to respond could mitigate the situation substantially.
According to local media, in 2019 the Hong Kong Police intercepted over HK$3 billion in payments that were obtained as a result of internet and phone scams, a 150% increase from 2018. Despite increasing public awareness of fraud schemes conducted online or over the phone, it appears that this trend is not abating anytime soon; for one thing, the Internet is a perfect breeding ground for fraudsters, where they can reach out to large numbers of potential victims with relative ease. Below is a short list of the most common types of phone and internet scams in Hong Kong and a quick guide on what to do if you have fallen victim to a scam.
You can read the full article on the website of our member Hugill&Ip here
