Fraudulent agencies exploit Hong Kong visa seekers: Immigration officials

Fraudulent mainland agencies are targeting more and more people from across the border who are applying to study or work in Hong Kong, offering them "guaranteed success" in visa applications in exchange for exorbitant fees.

Cases included social media posts claiming that a payment of HK$30 million in cryptocurrency could secure permanent residency.

Immigration officials debunk myths, expose common traps

Authorities are making sure the public is aware that the offer is entirely fraudulent. Fan Kin-chung, chief immigration officer of the Quality Migrants and Mainland Residents Section, also emphasized that there is no special channel to ensure approval.

Fan outlined common traps set by these unlicensed agencies that involve false promises of guaranteed approval, which lured applicants into paying steep fees far exceeding the government's visa charges.

Fake Documents and Stolen Fees: Scammers' tactics revealed

In some cases, scammers take the money without even submitting an application. Another scheme involves fabricating documents for unqualified applicants.

Fan shared a case in which a woman submitted fake utility bills to support her husband's and daughter's visa applications.

Immigration officers, spotting inconsistencies, verified with utility providers and confirmed the forgery.

The woman admitted to obtaining the fake documents through an agency to falsely claim Hong Kong residency. She was jailed for 15 months for making false statements and using forged documents.

Phone scams on the rise despite drop in student victims

Phone scams also remain a press issue. In the first five months of the year, police recorded 2,574 cases - a 20 percent increase from the same period last year.

However, the number of mainland student victims dropped by nearly 40 percent, from 89 to 49 cases. Financial losses among these students totaled HK$44 million, accounting for 10 percent of overall scam losses—a significant decrease from last year's HK$81 million.

Still, one mainland student lost HK$9.2 million after falling victim to a scammer posing as a law enforcement officer and accusing the student of money laundering.

The victim had been coerced into secrecy and made over 10 transfers before alerting the family.

Another student also lost over HK$10 million in three months after engaging with a fake official.

Anti-scam campaigns launched ahead of new academic year

As the new academic year apporaches--a peak period for scams—police are ramping up efforts, including a joint effort with the Immigration Department, China's National Immigration Administration, and the National Anti-Fraud Center to produce education videos.

A letter from Hong Kong Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming warning against scams has also been distributed to universities enrolling mainland students.

(Staff reporter)