Hong Kong online investment scams surge 20% as losses hit HK$3.08 billion

Hong Kong recorded a 20 per cent increase in online investment scams in the first 10 months of the year, with victims losing HK$3.08 billion (US$395.9 million), according to police.

Theodora Lee Wai-see, a superintendent with the force’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, also revealed that 83 per cent of all fraudulent messages were disseminated through Meta-owned platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram.

Overall, Hong Kong residents lost HK$6.43 billion to various scams over the first 10 months of 2025, an 8 per cent decrease over the same period last year.

Of the total of 35,831 reported scam cases, 4,515 involved investment fraud, with these losses rising 30 per cent year-on-year to HK$3.08 billion.

Lee said common investment scams involved messages purportedly sent by financial experts offering tips or courses. The scammers would then lure victims to invest through fraudulent apps or websites.

The largest single loss amounted to more than HK$40 million, after a 52-year-old resident was duped by criminals impersonating a jeweller to invest in precious metals.