Phone scams drop in Hong Kong but too early to tell if mandatory real-name registration of SIM cards working, police say

According to police, 597 phone fraud cases were reported from January to March, compared with 1,144 in the last quarter of 2022. During first quarter this year, police arrested 220 people suspected of being involved in phone scams. — SCMP

The number of phone scam cases in Hong Kong dropped by nearly 50% in the first three months of this year from the last quarter of 2022, but police said it was too early to conclude if the new mandatory real-name registration of SIM cards could curb the crime.

Police released the latest figures as they pledged to strengthen cooperation with banks to block fraud, including identifying potential victims by reviewing their transaction records.