Phone Scams Abound Despite Hong Kong’s Introduction of Real Name Registration on Phone Cards

Pedestrians on a street in Mongkok, Hong Kong on August 22, 2022. Big Mack/The Epoch Times

While Hong Kong’s recent crime statistics on deception cases are on the rise, one noticeable trend is the increase in telephone scams, which keep thriving despite the government’s new policy of real-name registration of mobile phone SIM cards since March. This measure has raised public concerns about further curtailment of freedom and rights.

According to the Hong Kong police statistics, fraud and deception crimes have increased in recent years. In 2022, the number of deception cases increased significantly by 8,674 to 27 923 cases, registering a growth rate of 45.1 percent. The trend continues to flourish as the number of deception cases recorded in the first quarter of this year is 8,886, with an even higher increase percentage of 65.2 percent compared with the number in the same period of last year of 3,508.

Deception Cases Rise with a Noticeable Increase in Telephone Scams

Among all types of fraud, phone scams have seen a striking increase.