Hong Kong accountant loses HK$700,000 in phishing scam, joining 1,408 others who collectively lost HK$26.1 million this year

A 65-year-old accountant became this year’s phishing victim who lost the most money when he clicked on a hyperlink sent to his mobile phone, allowing scammers to take more than HK$700,000 (US$89,371) over several days, Hong Kong police have said.

The man received a text message in January that warned him the points he had collected had almost expired and urged him to exchange them for souvenirs and rewards.