London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jul 30, 2025

Elderly people in Hong Kong main targets as phone scams rise sharply, with victims losing HK$185 million in just five months

One woman borrowed heavily to pay HK$2.4 million to scammers posing as mainland officials. Wan Chai bank employee foiled attempt to get 80-year-old woman to open new online account

Fraudsters tricked more than 500 people in Hong Kong into parting with HK$185 million (US$23.9 million), keeping telephone scams on a sharply rising trend through the first five months of this year.

There were 532 cases from January to May, up from 207 over the same period last year, while the amount the tricksters made off with was more than triple the losses reported in the same period last year.

The surge in phone scams recorded by the police force’s Anti-deception Coordination Centre involved criminals getting people to reveal online banking passwords, identity card numbers and other personal details.

The elderly continued to be the most common targets. There were 255 victims aged over 60 in the first five months of this year, up from 84 in the same period last year.

Victims in this age group reported handing over nearly HK$100 million, with each person losing about HK$380,000 on average.

Among victims of all ages, 151 people lost HK$150 million in total after disclosing their personal data, including bank details. The scammers used this information to make withdrawals from the victims’ bank accounts or access their accounts through online banking to steal their money.

Phone fraudsters often pretend to be mainland police officers who accuse victims of breaking the law there, and demanding that they transfer funds to “clear their name”. Others pretend to be long-lost friends or relatives.

In a case reported to police in May, a 50-year-old woman claimed she was duped of HK$2.4 million after scammers posing as mainland officials called her last year and threatened her, saying she faced criminal charges across the border.

Last November, she began borrowing money from moneylenders to pay the scammers. Her family only realised what happened when debt collectors kept calling to make her repay her loans.

Police also received two complaints from people who received dubious calls from others pretending to be bank staff telling them that they had been unsuccessful in registering for the government’s HK$10,000 pandemic relief payout.

Police had warned earlier of scammers calling and offering to help people to register for the handout.

The chief inspector of the force’s Anti-deception Coordination Centre, Ngan Hoi-yan, advised bank staff and family members to be alert to elderly people suddenly applying for online banking accounts, as fraudsters usually harassed victims to transfer cash quickly.

In April, a Chiyu Bank employee became suspicious when an 80-year-old woman turned up to open an online banking account, accompanied by a woman claiming to be a relative.

Sum Ho-cheung, manager of the branch in Wan Chai, said the bank employee had her doubts after chatting with the elderly woman and probing the reasons she wanted to change her password and open a new account.

The employee then called the woman’s son, who was authorised to approve matters concerning her account, to verify that he had asked his mother to open an online account.

“The son said he had never heard of the ‘relative’ who was with his mother at the bank and confirmed that he did not ask his mother to reset the bank password or apply for online access,” Sum said. “We immediately froze the account based on the suspicious activity and reported it to police.”

The woman pretending to be the victim’s relative was arrested on June 12, and police investigations found she was involved in seven other cases related to phone scams.

Chief inspector Ngan said: “We really appreciate the professionalism and the level of concern shown by the bank staff in reporting the suspicious activity and helping us with the case.”

Chui Ting-yui, acting chief inspector of the regional crime unit in Kowloon East, said phone scammers were difficult to trace as they used fake numbers that were not registered under the Office of the Communications Authority.

Fraudsters calling from the mainland also use available technology to make it appear that they are using a Hong Kong phone with the +852 calling code.

He said: “We conduct regular information exchange with the Ministry of Public Security in Guangdong province and Macau’s Economic Crimes Investigation Department to tackle cross-border phone scams.”




Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×