Hong Kong police chief warns of surge in investment, impersonation scams
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu says measures will be put in place to protect mainland students in city from falling prey to scams
Hong Kong’s police chief has warned residents to be on their guard against investment scams and fraudsters impersonating mainland Chinese officials, amid a rise in such cases in recent months.
Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-yee said on Friday the force was coming up with measures to tackle the problem of mainland students in the city falling victim to scams.
“In the past one to two months, we have seen an increase in the number of investment scams,” he said on a Lunar New Year visit to Che Kung Temple in Sha Tin.
“We see that [the scammers] start from online romances, showing concern for your well-being first. Afterwards, they will send you a link. They may also offer some sweeteners to entice victims to believe they can make money.”
Siu added that a lot of the victims had been caught out by investment scams related to cryptocurrencies.
He cautioned the public against believing offers from suspected scammers, even if they had provided residents with incentives.
