Hong Kong sees 5,000 fake customer service scams costing HK$700 million in 8 months

Hong Kong recorded 29,670 fraud cases with losses of HK$5.21 billion from January to August 2026, including over 5,000 impersonated customer service scams totaling nearly HK$700 million. These scams typically contact victims via messages or phone calls, using pretexts like financial services, insurance, memberships, or logistics. Scammers persuade victims to call fake hotlines, then shift to other communication apps, using video calls or screen sharing to trick them into transferring money. Authorities report a sharp rise in August, with message-based cases doubling and phone-based cases surging 2.7 times month-on-month. Officials urge vigilance, advising against using suspicious links, sharing screens, or providing verification codes, and recommend using anti-fraud tools.