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Hong Kong expat loses HK$10 million in 3 days in computer ‘tech support’ scam

  • ‘I saw my computer being operated by another person, impersonating me to … set up accounts on nine cryptocurrency platforms,’ victim says

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The force says it has received 12 reports of such tech support scams in the past two months. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong police have warned of a rising trend of fraudsters posing as tech support staff to carry out a cyber scam targeting expatriate and English-speaking residents, with victims losing more than HK$17 million (US$2.2 million) in the last two months.

Scammers would place pop-up ads with flashing alerts and loud alarms, claiming that victims’ computers were attacked by malware, said Superintendent Baron Chan Shun-ching of the force’s cybersecurity and technology crime bureau at a press briefing on Monday.

“The ads take up the entire screen and cannot be closed, causing victims to think their browser was really locked, so they would panic and call the so-called tech support hotline,” he said.

“Individuals posing as tech support staff would tell victims their computers have been hacked and their personal data and bank information is at risk.

“Scammers would redirect victims to so-called law enforcement officers who would use different excuses to manipulate victims to transfer funds to mule accounts.”

Chan said this scam was common in the West and Singapore, with more scammers targeting Hong Kong residents in recent months.

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