Press Release

Scam tactics have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years, with fraudsters now exploiting AI technology and social media to deceive the public. To enhance anti-fraud awareness among the general public, the launch ceremony of the community-wide Anti-Fraud Education Campaign, themed “Spot Scammers’ Tricks, Watch Your Wallet”, was held today at the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA). The campaign is organised by The Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) and co-organised by the Security Bureau, the Hong Kong Police Force and the HKMA.

Officiating guests at the ceremony included Mr. Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice, HKSAR Government; Mr. Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security, HKSAR Government; Mr. Joe Chow Yat-ming, Commissioner of Police, HKSAR Government; Mr. Eddie Yue Wai-man, Chief Executive, HKMA; and Mr. Sun Yu, Chairman of the HKAB, and Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of China (Hong Kong). The campaign aims to enhance the public’s ability to identify scams and strengthen vigilance against fraud through a diverse range of outreach and interactive educational activities, while fostering a sustainable anti-fraud education network that reaches all sectors of the community.

The event also received strong support from representatives of organisations across different sectors and distinguished guests, including Mr. Ronick Chan Chun-ying, Vice-Chairman and Secretary, The Chinese Banking Association of Hong Kong; Ms. Carmen Kan Wai-mun, Legislative Council Member; Mr. Roden Tong Man-lung, President of The Law Society of Hong Kong; Mr. Ken Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants; Ms. Melissa Kaye Pang, Chairman, Agency for Volunteer Service; Mr. Peace Wong Wo-ping, Chief Officer (Family & Community Service), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service; Mr. Wan Chi-lun, Council Member of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers; as well as financial industry representatives Mr. Francis Kwok Sze-chi, Dr. Kenny Tang Sing-hing, Ms. Agnes Wu Meng-ching, Ms. Michelle Ngai Mei-chun and Ms. Vivian Tsang Tsz-ching.

Mr. Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice, HKSAR Government, said, “Most fraud cases nowadays involve highly sophisticated and covert technologies, and many are also linked to cross-border criminal activities. Investigating the true identities of the offenders, rendering those located overseas back to Hong Kong through legal means to face justice, and recovering the losses suffered by the victims are all extremely challenging tasks. To reduce such crimes, the most critical factor is to strengthen the general public’s awareness of scam prevention, ensuring that fraudsters are unable to succeed from the very beginning. The Department of Justice will continue to support cross-sectoral anti-fraud education efforts and will work closely with relevant organisations to enhance the scam-prevention awareness of all citizens in Hong Kong.”

Mr. Eddie Yue Wai-man, Chief Executive, HKMA, added, “Anti-fraud efforts are a priority for the HKMA. We have been working closely with the Police, the banking industry and other stakeholders to build a comprehensive fraud-prevention ecosystem. This includes enhancing banks’ ability to detect fraud, facilitating information sharing, both between the Police and banks and among banks, strengthening risk alerts to customers, and raising public awareness. By strengthening our defence against fraud and exposing evolving scam tactics, we will further protect the public from scam losses.”

Mr. Sun Yu, Chairman of the HKAB, and Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of China (Hong Kong), said, “In the face of increasingly rampant fraud and other criminal activities, there is an urgent need to strengthen both prevention and enforcement efforts. HKAB has always upheld the philosophy of ‘Bank and the Community. We Care, We Share’. Since the launch of the Anti-Fraud Education Taskforce, we have organised over 300 community activities to share the latest anti-fraud knowledge with the public, while joining hands with different stakeholders to build a community-wide anti-fraud education network. Looking ahead, HKAB will continue to collaborate closely with stakeholders from all sectors to help safeguard the financial security of the public and jointly contribute to Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability.”

At the launch ceremony, guests shared real-life cases and participated in interactive demonstrations highlighting common tactics used in investment fraud and technology-enabled scams. In particular, Secretary for Justice Mr. Paul Lam and Secretary for Security Mr. Tang Ping-keung demonstrated how fraudsters can use AI-powered “deepfake” face-swapping technology to perpetrate scams, reminding the public that “seeing is not always believing” and urging them not to trust online information credulously. Commissioner of Police Mr. Joe Chow also shared the latest fraud statistics and trends, calling on members of the public to remain vigilant at all times.

In addition, the HKAB invited experts from various sectors to exchange views on anti-fraud strategies from the legal, rational and empathetic dimensions. The experts shared insights on how more comprehensive protection against fraud can be achieved through existing safeguards, information dissemination and community support. Participants agreed that, as scam tactics continue to evolve, all sectors of society must stay vigilant, make full use of their resources, as well as further strengthen public education and cross-institutional collaboration.

Through the theme “Spot Scammers’ Tricks, Watch Your Wallet”, HKAB hopes to remind members of the public to not only stay alert at all times and learn to recognise the deceptive tactics used by fraudsters, but also take proactive steps to safeguard their assets, thereby avoiding falling victims of scams.

As part of the campaign, HKAB will set up a booth for the first time at the Hong Kong Book Fair, which will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from 15 to 21 July. Through the “Spot Scammers’ Tricks Challenge” online game, a series of interactive activities, and displays of anti-fraud publications provided by co-organising and supporting institutions, the initiative will bring anti-fraud education directly into the community and help strengthen the public’s practical ability to identify investment traps and other scam tactics.

The Anti-Fraud Education Taskforce under the HKAB Community Care Committee is committed to collaborating with the police, regulatory authorities and various stakeholders to launch a series of initiatives aimed at combating and preventing fraud. To date, the Taskforce has organised a wide range of community events in all 18 districts of Hong Kong. Through a spectrum of activities, such as seminars, mobile promotional vehicles, carnivals, exhibitions and educational videos, it has reached shopping malls, residential estates, schools and local communities across the city, actively engaging the general public in enhancing anti-fraud community education.

Photo Captions:

	Photo 1: The Hong Kong Association of Banks held the launch ceremony of the community-wide Anti-Fraud Education Campaign themed “Spot Scammers’ Tricks, Watch Your Wallet” today. From left to right: Mr. Peace Wong Wo-ping, Chief Officer (Family & Community Service), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service; Mr. Eddie Yue Wai-man, Chief Executive, HKMA; Mr. Tang Ping-keung, Secretary for Security, HKSAR Government; Mr. Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Secretary for Justice, HKSAR Government; Mr. Joe Chow Yat-ming, Commissioner of Police, HKSAR Government; Mr. Sun Yu, Chairman of the HKAB, and Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of Bank of China (Hong Kong) and Mr. Wan Chi-lun, Council Member of the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers officiated at the ceremony.
	Photo 2: Secretary for Justice Mr. Paul Lam (right) and Secretary for Security Mr. Tang Ping-keung (left) made a rare joint appearance, using the amusing example of their own “face-swapped” images to remind Hong Kong citizens that, when confronted with such “face-changing fraudsters”, they should remember: do not listen, do not believe, and do not transfer money.
	Photo 3: Secretary for Justice Mr. Paul Lam (third from right), Secretary for Security Mr. Tang Ping-keung (first from right), Commissioner of Police Mr. Joe Chow Yat-ming (second from left) posed for a group photograph with three “Young Anti-Scam Ambassadors” from Aldrich Bay Government Primary School, highlighting the passing on of anti-scam education to the younger generation and calling on the whole community to join hands in support of “Spot Scammers’ Tricks. Watch Your Wallet”, injecting youthful energy into the campaign.
	Photo 4: Experts from various sectors exchanged views on anti-fraud strategies from the legal, rational and empathetic dimensions, addressing how more comprehensive protection against fraud can be achieved through existing safeguards, information dissemination and community support. From left to right: Mr. Michael Fung Ho-kin, Clinical Psychologist, Hong Kong Police Force; Ms. Carmen Kan Wai-mun, Legislative Council Member; Mr. Ronick Chan Chun-ying, Vice-Chairman and Secretary, The Chinese Banking Association of Hong Kong; Mr. Peace Wong Wo-ping, Chief Officer (Family & Community Service), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service and the moderator Ms. Akina Fong Kin-yee.

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