Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) of the Commercial Crime Bureau (CCB) today (August 19) launched the "Anti-Scam Month" campaign which will be held from mid-August to September, aiming to raise public awareness of the latest scam tactics, with a particular focus on the recent surge in "Impersonating Customer Service" scams. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) will jointly promote anti-scam initiatives targeting Mainland students studying in Hong Kong.
From January to June 2024, Police recorded a total of 19 897 scam cases, accounting for approximately 44 percent of all crimes, representing a 6.2 percent increase compared to the same period last year. The financial losses amounted to HK$4.48 billion, a significant 66.5 percent rise from the previous year. Among these cases, "Impersonating Customer Service" scams have increased significantly, involving a total loss of HK$379 million.
The Executive Director (Enforcement and AML) of the HKMA, Mr Raymond Chan, said, "In response to the latest trend and tactics in fraud and scams, the HKMA will join hands with the banking industry to collaborate with Police in enhancing public awareness, including raising alertness of Mainland students in Hong Kong and heightening public vigilance against scams impersonating customer service. In addition, the HKMA will further promote the adoption of Regtech by banks and support the work to expand bank-to-bank information sharing for more effective detection and prevention of frauds and mule accounts. With close collaboration among Police, the HKMA, the banking industry and the public, we can form a powerful anti-deception ecosystem to collectively combat fraud and scams in all aspects."
The ADCC will promote anti-scam messages through multiple channels during the "Anti-Scam Month". In collaboration with the HKMA and the banking industry, the ADCC will also introduce the "Survival Guide", an initiative specifically designed for Mainland students in Hong Kong. Frontline bank staff will distribute and explain the "Survival Guide" to the Mainland students who open accounts at banks. The ADCC will also distribute the guide in various districts to raise the anti-scam awareness of Mainland students in Hong Kong and members of public.
The ADCC is deploying the ice-cream van "Escape from Scams" to meet the public and distribute free ice-cream from today to August 23 in various districts in Hong Kong, promoting anti-scam messages. From August 25, the ADCC staff and the ice-cream van will visit university campuses to introduce the latest modus operandi of scams to students. For details of the event and anti-deception messages, please visit the official website of the ADCC (www.adcc.gov.hk).
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