Hong Kong police have received 170 reports of scams over compensated dating and naked chats involving over HK$4.5 million (US$573,250) in total so far this year, with students accounting for around a third of victims.
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The force on Monday urged the city’s young people to develop awareness and protect themselves, especially during the summer holidays, to prevent themselves from falling into “sexual exploitation traps”.
“Most victims were lured into engaging in nude chats or sending explicit photos, and were blackmailed into paying money to prevent private images from being leaked,” a spokesman wrote on the police’s Facebook page.
“Some victims fell for fraudulent compensated dating offers, and were asked to buy virtual point cards or transfer money as a deposit, resulting in financial loss.”
Police said young people in search of novelty and excitement were often drawn to an online world “filled with various temptations and mysteries”.
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“But scammers often hide in the digital world, using deceptive language to disguise their true intentions and set traps for sexual exploitation,” its spokesman said.
“This false allure may eventually result in irreversible damage.”