Telecom fraud leads to MOP350 million losses in 2025, primarily driven by investment scams

The Judiciary Police’s (PJ) annual statistics show a relative decrease in telecom fraud, yet financial losses still reached MOP350 million, primarily driven by investment fraud.

The PJ released last year’s operational statistics, indicating that investment scams, fake customer service phone scams, and online shopping scams remain prevalent. The losses from telecom fraud surged to MOP300 million, approaching the 2023 peak.

While the total reported phone and internet fraud cases stood at 277 and 533, respectively, reflecting year-on-year decreases of 21.8% and 41.2%, PJ’s director, Sit Chong Meng, expressed particular concerns about investment scams.

“Among telecom fraud cases, we are especially worried about investment scams,” Sit stated, noting that the victims of investment fraud are often well-educated individuals or corporate executives.

“After noticing this trend last year, we have promoted awareness through various channels in hopes of encouraging society to pay attention and avoid being scammed,” he emphasized.

According to the PJ’s work summary report, over half of last year’s telephone fraud cases involved “impersonating government officials,” resulting in approximately MOP100 million in losses, representing 73% of the total reported losses from telephone fraud.

Meanwhile, the report noted 533 internet fraud cases, a 41.2% decrease from the previous year; however, losses soared to MOP170 million, a nearly 120% year-on-year increase.

As noted, the authorities arrested 178 members of fraud syndicates and prevented 683 fraud cases, safeguarding over MOP84 million. Additionally, they flagged 551 suspicious accounts to banks and coordinated with the telecommunications industry to effectively block 545 phishing websites.

The PJ’s overview of this year’s public security situation indicates a slight overall increase in total crime figures, while serious violent crimes have generally declined. Notably, drug trafficking and drug abuse cases saw sharp rises, with 61 and 29 cases reported last year, reflecting year-on-year increases of 24.5% and 93.3%, respectively.
According to Sit, these increases are attributed to enhanced intelligence-led policing, strengthened cross-border collaboration, and the successful resolution of several key cases.

PJ data show that 14,308 case files were opened last year, a modest 1.8% increase from 2024. The number of concluded cases reached 15,718, a 22.3% year-on-year increase, and 3,955 individuals were referred to judicial authorities, a 19% year-on-year increase.

While there were three homicide cases, all stemmed from family and relationship disputes, and incidents of serious bodily injury involved individuals with mental health issues and workplace conflicts.

Domestic violence cases decreased by one, bringing the total to 11, and there were no reported triad-related crimes or kidnappings last year.

Organized crime cases also saw a sharp decline, with just eight incidents reported—a significant 68% decrease from the previous year—indicating a trend toward greater overall social security and stability.

The PJ reported a continued decline in serious gambling-related crimes and organized crime, reflecting a low incidence trend. According to them, over the past year, 2,314 specialized investigations and reports on gambling-related offenses were initiated, including 192 cases of illegal lending for gambling purposes and 28 cases of unlawful confinement, representing year-on-year decreases of 23.8% and 40.4%, respectively.

Additionally, 567 cases of “illegal money exchange for gambling purposes” were cracked down on, resulting in the arrest of 867 individuals and the seizure of over HKD94 million in cash and casino chips.

Cybersecurity Center Phase 4 focused on prevention

During yesterday’s Spring Festival symposium, it was announced that the Cybersecurity Incident Alert and Response Center’s fourth-phase upgrade of its dynamic threat monitoring and detection system introduced more advanced equipment, enhancing early-detection capabilities against potential cyberattacks.

Sit reported that the center detected an alarming 5,700 signs of cyberattacks and espionage daily in 2025, stating, “This reflects a high incidence rate and indicates that the cybersecurity situation remains extremely severe.”

He further disclosed that the center issued 295 early warnings last year, the highest number in recent years. Although the total number of cybersecurity incidents handled was the lowest in recent times at 23—including four cyberattacks—this reflects the ongoing challenges in maintaining cyber resilience.