As the new semester approaches, the police are partnering with a university to raise awareness of local scams, especially the emerging "national secret agent" scenario targeting mainland students.
The "national secret agent" scams reportedly deceive students into assisting fraudulent operations under the guise of serving their country.
Terence Mak Chin-ho, the Regional Commander of New Territories South, reported that there were 327 phone scams targeting mainland students last year, resulting in losses exceeding HK$230 million, with individual students losing an average of over HK$700,000.
Investigations revealed that almost all the funds come from the parents, with 80 percent of the victims being first-year students, some even being scammed before the school year began.
Mak emphasized that neither Hong Kong nor mainland authorities would ever handle cases via phone or request money.
He also advised parents to verify any requests for money transfers from their children, regardless of the reason -- whether for tuition, groceries, or emergencies -- and to obtain supporting evidence.
Shatin District Commander Ball Chan Rock-sang noted that nearly 97 percent of victims of official impersonation fraud in Shatin are mainland students.
Chan explained that fraudsters often exploit victims' deference to authority, instructing them not to contact family members and isolating them to facilitate their scams.
Additionally, Chan cautioned against AI-driven scams that use deepfake technology to mimic the voices and faces of relatives, urging students to verify all information with trusted individuals.
