Phishing scams hit a high amid AI enhancements

Marcus Lum

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

"Criminals have become more rampant, attempting scams through various channels as people become increasingly dependent on the internet," said Alex Chan Chung-man, Productivity Council general manager of digital transformation.

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

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

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

He suggested people 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 they should regularly update Internet of Things devices such as drones and smart home devices according to manufacturer requirements and quickly change the usernames and passwords to prevent hacker attacks.