Get help

Think you have been scammed?

The first few minutes matter most. Stop, do not pay, keep the evidence — then make the call.

999

Emergency police

If money has been transferred, you are being threatened, or you are in danger, call 999 immediately.

18222

Anti-Deception Helpline

The 24-hour enquiry hotline of the Hong Kong Police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, for suspicious calls, messages and accounts.

Four steps

1
Stop paying and stop sharing
Do not transfer more money, and never hand over verification codes, passwords or identity documents. Do not install remote-access software on request.
2
Keep the evidence
Screenshot the conversation, the caller number, the receiving account and the transaction record. Do not delete the chat or block the sender yet.
3
Call 18222 or the police
Call the Anti-Deception Helpline on 18222 for advice. If money has been lost, report to the police promptly and ask your bank to stop the payment.
4
Tell family and your university
Tell family, roommates or a student counsellor so that someone else can help you assess the situation and prevent a second loss.

Partner tools

A report is only the first step — preserving evidence and obtaining legal referral come next. The laboratory works with partner teams to cover both. The tools below are run independently.

ShieldAssist

Partner tool

Hong Kong scam support: reporting, evidence preservation and legal referral

A support platform built by a student team at CityU School of Law. Reporting, evidence preservation and legal referral sit in one workflow, supported by open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysis of money flows and digital footprints.

What it does

Case intake: a secure channel and a confidentiality agreement
OSINT gathering: tracing money flows and digital footprints
Evidence preservation: assembling a usable digital evidence chain
Legal assessment: referral to a suitable Hong Kong lawyer and civil-recovery options

Open ShieldAssist ↗www.shieldassist.net/

ShieldAssist is an independently operated partner project; its scope, terms and fees are as published on its own site.

Common scenarios

Callers claiming to be from Immigration, the Police, Customs or mainland police demanding a “financial audit”
Fake courier or platform support staff asking you to install an app or share your screen
“Zero-risk, high-return” investment or crypto offers that require deposits before withdrawal
Task-based jobs, proxy purchasing or part-time gigs that pay small amounts before demanding a large deposit
Romance or friendship contacts asking for transfers, parcel collection or investments
Rental or second-hand deals requiring a deposit to a personal account

Read today’s risk brief →