Hongkongers victimized in record high phishing scams of 2024

More than 7,800 Hongkongers fell victim to online phishing scams last year, which is more than double compared to figures in 2023, reaching the highest in the past five years, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre said on Monday.

“Criminals have become more rampant, attempting scams through various channels as citizens have become increasingly dependent on the internet,” said Alex Chan Chung-man, Productivity Council general manager of digital transformation, at a press conference.  

Chan said phishing and malware were Hong Kong's biggest cybersecurity incidents last year, as the center had handled over 48,000 phishing-related links in security incidents, which is 1.5 times more than 2023.

He said many criminals are now using artificial intelligence (AI) and automation technology to write phishing emails, which are low-cost and seem more authentic.

Chan said that phishing mainly targeted banking, financial, and electronic payment industries, followed by social media, instant messaging software, e-commerce, technology companies, and public services.

He suggested citizens should first make phone calls to verify with the other party, or use existing AI tools to check whether the images and sounds have been altered by AI when facing AI-enhanced cyber attacks and fraud such as deepfake.

Chan also suggested that citizens should regularly update the Internet of Things (IoT) devices such as drones and smart home devices according to manufacturer requirements and quickly change the usernames and passwords to prevent hacker attacks.

(Marcus Lum)