Hongkonger arrested over SMS scam using device to show official ‘#’ sign

Police record 28 complaints from alleged victims who received messages purporting to be from government, delivery firms and others

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The Office of the Communications Authority is investigating the cases, confirming that the messages were fraudulent. Photo: Edmond So

Published: 3:15pm, 19 Feb 2025Updated: 1:35am, 20 Feb 2025

A 23-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly defrauding Hongkongers by sending text messages that appeared to come from registered companies and government departments by using a fraudulent mobile station to jam phone signals.

Police said on Wednesday they arrested the man earlier this week in connection with 28 complaints concerning suspicious text messages that purported to be from the registered accounts of government departments, delivery firms and online payment systems.

The Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) also launched an investigation, confirming that the messages were fraudulent.

“If you discover that your phone’s signal coverage has gone from full to 2G, beware of text messages received during this period, especially if any unknown links were received,” said Andrew Lo Tsz-him, principal regulatory affairs manager at the office.

Alleged victims started to file complaints on Tuesday last week, telling police and the OFCA that they had received messages from someone who was pretending to be organisations and companies registered with a “#” prefix attached to the sender IDs.

The messages contained hyperlinks that were suspected to be part of a phishing operation.