Hong Kong police intercept more than US$384mil swindled from victims of Internet and phone scams around world

Some money was frozen elsewhere in Asia and in Europe when anti-fraud squad sought help from overseas authorities through Interpol, source says. Insider warns the chance of recovering defrauded money depends on whether victims quickly realise they have been scammed. — SCMP

Hong Kong police intercepted more than HK$3bil (RM1.62bil or US$384mil) conned from victims of Internet and phone scams both locally and around the world in 2019, a 150 per cent increase on the amount stopped the previous year, latest figures show.

Some of the money was frozen in bank accounts elsewhere in Asia and in Europe when the city’s anti-fraud squad sought help from overseas authorities through Interpol, according to police sources.