Latest Scam Alerts

Beware of Scammers Impersonating Security Bureau, Communications Authority and Digital Policy Office
2025-06-13

Beware of Scammers Impersonating Security Bureau, Communications Authority and Digital Policy Office

Beware of Scammers Impersonating Communications Authority

 

Reminder: Phone calls redirected to Mainland public security officials are all scams! “Pretend officials” scams are not uncommon. It is recently reported that scammers, impersonating government departments such as the Security Bureau, Communications Authority and Digital Policy Office, called members of the public and redirected the calls to bogus Mainland public security officials who falsely claimed that the recipients’ identities had been fraudulently used to commit crimes in the Mainland and asked them to transfer their bank savings to designated bank accounts. Some victims lost over HK$1.5 million.

 

Defrauding Tricks 

  1. Scammers impersonate government departments and randomly call members of the public, claiming that someone has misused their identities to register prepaid SIM cards for sending fraudulent messages.
  2. They instruct victims to report the cases to Mainland public security authorities and then redirect the calls to scammers posing as “public security officers”.
  3. The bogus public security officers claim to have discovered that someone has opened bank accounts under the victims’ names for money laundering, and ask the victims to transfer their bank savings into designated bank accounts, or they will be arrested.
  4. They intimidate the victims into making more transfers until the victims realise that they have fallen prey to scams.

 

Our Advice

  • Even if strangers who send you messages are able to tell your personal information, it does not necessarily mean that they are genuine law enforcement officers. Scammers can obtain the personal information of the public by unlawful means;
  • Genuine law enforcement officers will not ask for your online banking passwords in investigation of cases, or ask you to transfer money to designated bank accounts;
  • If someone claims to be a police officer or employee of a government department and instructs you to disclose personal information and assets for various reasons, you should check and verify the identity of the caller with the relevant agency;
  • If in doubt, please call “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” for enquiries.