Study Buddy (Explorer): Hong Kong police chief suggests anti-fraud slogans on coffee cups, tissues to raise awareness

[2] Commissioner of Police Raymond Siu Chak-Yee said the force had plans to raise scam awareness by ensuring anti-fraud messages became part of the everyday lives of Hongkongers. “We’re thinking about a lot of different ways right now. For example, we are currently in talks with some catering groups since Hong Kong people love to go out and eat,” he said. “Maybe we can put some slogans on napkins or on cups at coffee shops … We will show [anti-fraud messages] to you even if you don’t ask for them.”

[3] The police chief last month also warned the public to be alert to investment schemes promising high returns and low risks. He warned that they were often scams that were difficult to stop as fraudsters had already sent the money overseas by the time the victim realised they had been duped.

[4] The city recorded 39,824 cases of fraud last year, resulting in about HK$9.18 billion (US$1.17 billion) in losses. Siu said 70 per cent of the cases involved online scams. The number of cases accounted for 44 per cent of all crimes and marked a 43 per cent jump compared with 2022. “Most of the cases were related to online shopping because shopping on the internet is so common nowadays,” he told a radio programme.

[5] Siu added investment scams also increased last year compared with 2022. They accounted for nearly two-thirds, or HK$5.9 billion, of the total losses in 2023 with many highly-educated people falling for investment scams. “We see many victims … some are even CEOs of international companies or people with investment experience,” he said. “Oftentimes, they see ads online that peddle investment opportunities that claim to have low risks and high returns, and the victims themselves take the initiative to reach out to the scammers.”

[6] The commissioner explained that the scammers made themselves appear more legitimate by providing a platform for victims to monitor the performance of their so-called investments. Some even gave real initial payouts to lure people to double-down on their initial sum.

[7] He gave the example of a woman who made initial “investments” of HK$50,000 and saw HK$10,000 in “returns” in her bank account the same day. The victim went on to give the scammers HK$3 million. Siu added by the time victims discovered they were being scammed, it was often too late, as the money would have already been sent overseas.

[8] He appealed to the public to make use of the government’s anti-fraud tools, such as the round-the-clock 18222 “Anti-Scam Helpline”, and the force’s “Scameter” app, designed to allow users to enter information for risk assessment.

Source: South China Morning Post, February 10

1. In paragraph 1, what did Hong Kong’s Commissioner of Police suggest putting anti-scam slogans on?
___________________________________________________

2. Find a word in paragraph 2 that means “tricked”.
______________________

3. According to paragraph 2, the scams usually promise …
A. fast returns.
B. high risks.
C. minimum risks.
D. low returns.

4. Decide whether the following statements in paragraph 3 are True, False or the Information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each statement. (4 marks)
(i) There were more than 35,000 fraud cases in Hong Kong last year.
(ii) More than 50 per cent of fraud cases were related to online scams.
(iii) Most victims were unable to get their money back.
(iv) More than HK$10 billion was lost in fraud cases in 2023.

5. In paragraph 4, the Hong Kong police force wants people …
A. to be more aware of fraud cases.
B. to eat outside more often.
C. to keep a lookout for anti-fraud messages.
D. all of the above

6. According to paragraph 5, how much money was lost in investment scams in 2023?
___________________________________________________

7. What are two ways scammers lure victims mentioned in paragraph 6? (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Why is it difficult for victims to get their money back according to paragraph 7?______________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. What are the operating hours for the “Anti-Scam Helpline”?
A. 8am to 8pm
B. 10am to 10pm
C. 12 noon till midnight
D. 24 hours

1. coffee cups or napkins at restaurants
2. A
3. duped
4. C
5. (i) T; (ii) T; (iii) NG; (iv) F
6. HK$5.9 billion
7. by providing a platform for victims to monitor the performance of their so-called investments or giving real initial payouts to lure people to double-down on their initial sum
8. It is because by the time victims discovered they were being scammed, it was often too late as the money would have already been sent overseas, making the cases even harder to crack.
9. D