‘Scam’ website set up by Hong Kong police attracts nearly 300,000 visits in two weeks

A website set up by police featuring a bogus raffle attracted nearly 300,000 visits in just two weeks, with officers highlighting an alarming surge of similar cases in Hong Kong.

About one in three recorded crimes, or 19,444 cases, in the first nine months of the year were related to scams, police on Tuesday said. In the same period, scam phone calls surged by 130 per cent year on year, swindling Hongkongers out of HK$721 million (US$92.25 million), while bogus employment offers jumped by 226 per cent, accounting for HK$337 million in losses.