Hong Kong police, scammers in cat-and-mouse game
- Case involving fictitious online sale of dog meat makes one thing clear: unless enforcement can stay ahead of the cybercriminals, Hong Kong’s dreams of shifting to more efficient cashless systems will keep barking up the wrong tree
The dogged determination of scammers has taken another bite out of the city’s confidence in e-commerce. The latest online thievery was cynically disguised as a scandal involving the illegal sale of dog meat that duped several victims out of a total of HK$1.36 million.
Investigators on Monday said a malicious Android app was used to install Trojan malware on would-be buyers’ phones, sending them a fake banking login page where some victims entered names and passwords. Police said devices were being remotely controlled even when users saw only blank screens.
It might be tempting to say those who tried to buy illegal dog meat got what they deserved, but some of the victims were lured in by advertisements for other food items as well as travel packages and car rentals. A man in his sixties lost HK$415,000 after clicking a Facebook ad for HK$25 instant noodles.
The fake offer of dog meat even featured a cartoon image of a dog, possibly to throw authorities and victims off the scent of scammers. Officers said there was no evidence to suggest any illegal meat was sold or delivered.
Hong Kong authorities probe suspected sale of dog meat amid uproar over advert
An animal charity that had nothing to do with the case was wrongly implicated when thieves directed some buyers to a Faster Payment System (FPS) number linked to the shelter.
Ip Cheuk-yu, acting superintendent of the police cybersecurity and technology crime bureau, said dog meat was possibly a “cover to create a public noise”. Some animal lovers may have ended up downloading the app as they tried to track the “sellers”.
It is good that some banks have been taking new security steps, including disabling screenshot and screen recording functions that thieves exploit to control mobile banking apps. However, the recent cases underscore how hackers continue to find new ways around such measures.
Police warned earlier this year about a 50 per cent surge in technology-related crimes in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year. Unless enforcement and public awareness can stay ahead of the cybercriminals, the city’s dreams of shifting to more efficient cashless systems will keep barking up the wrong tree.
