Seven Nations Unite in Successful Month-Long Anti-Scam Operation, Arresting 1,858 and Freezing $20 Million in Fraudulent Funds

Hong Kong Police conducts cross-border anti-scam operation with six countries and regions (with photos/video)

The Hong Kong Police Force, in collaboration with the police forces of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, conducted the first joint operation of the Cross-border Anti-Scam Collaboration Platform "FRONTIER+" from April 28 to May 28. The operation achieved significant results in combating cross-border scam activities.

During the month-long operation, over 2 700 law enforcement officers from seven countries and regions were deployed, successfully identifying and dismantling multiple cross-border scam syndicates. In total, 1 858 individuals (aged between 14 and 81) were arrested, involving 9 268 scam cases, including online shopping scams, telephone deceptions (such as government official impersonation scams and impersonating customer service scams), investment scams, rental scams, and employment scams, etc, with a total loss amounting to US$225 million. A total of 32 607 bank accounts were frozen, and approximately US$20 million fraudulent funds were intercepted, effectively disrupting criminal cash flows. Enforcement details of the countries and regions are set out in the Annex.

Investigation revealed that scam trends show notable similarities across different jurisdictions. For instance, the impersonation of customer service representatives emerged as a widespread scam tactic in Hong Kong in 2024 and the trend started to drop in 2025 after police intervention. However, similar fraudulent schemes employing identical scripts and excuses to deceive citizens into monetary losses began to appear in Singapore and Macao SAR in 2025. This underscores the critical need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration and intelligence sharing to combat scam syndicates effectively.

The Cross-border Anti-Scam Collaboration Platform "FRONTIER+" was jointly established by various anti-scam centres in October 2024. As of now, the platform includes anti-scam centres from 10 countries and regions, namely Australia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Macao SAR, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. By strengthening intelligence exchange and coordinated actions, the platform aims to combat scams, cyber-related crimes and money laundering. The platform will continue to conduct real-time intelligence analysis and sharing, carry out cross-border joint operations from time to time, and expand its network by inviting more countries and regions to join in order to enhance enforcement efficiency.

Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant against scams at all times and to exercise caution in their financial transactions. Avoid hastily clicking on hyperlinks, downloading mobile applications, or logging into suspicious websites. If in doubt, the public is advised to verify suspicious information or websites using "Scameter" on CyberDefender’s website (cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/), or the mobile app "Scameter+"; or to call the "Anti-Scam Helpline 18222" for enquiries

Hong Kong Police conducts cross-border anti-scam operation with six countries and regions Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Hong Kong Police conducts cross-border anti-scam operation with six countries and regions Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Notice on appointments to advisory and statutory bodies

A Government spokesman said today (January 12) that Mr Chan Kin-por recently sought approval from the Chief Executive to suspend his three public positions as appointed by the Chief Executive, until the completion of the work of the Independent Committee in relation to the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po (Independent Committee). Mr Chan made this request to allow himself more time to dedicate to the work of the Independent Committee. After due consideration, the Chief Executive has agreed to and approved this request. The three public positions are: (1) Chairman of Independent Commission Against Corruption Advisory Committee on Corruption; (2) Non-executive Director of Urban Renewal Authority Board; and (3) Member of Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.

On December 12, 2025, the Government established the Independent Committee to examine the causes of the incident and related issues, ascertain the facts, and make recommendations on preventing similar tragedies and on improvement measures. The Independent Committee is chaired by Mr Justice David Lok, with Mr Chan Kin-por and Dr Rex Auyeung Pak-kuen serving as members. The Independent Committee held its first meeting on December 19 last year and aims to complete its work within nine months of commencing operations.

Mr Chan Kin-por wrote earlier to the Chief Executive, expressing his wish to suspend the aforementioned three public positions until the Independent Committee completes its work, in order to dedicate more time and focus to the Independent Committee's tasks. The Chief Executive has agreed to and approved the request.

A Government spokesperson said that since the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, both the Government and the wider community have been highly concerned about the causes of the incident and the follow-up work. The scope of the Independent Committee's work is extensive, particularly concerning systemic issues related to bid-rigging and connected interests. Given the numerous issues involved and their complex nature, the Government will fully co-operate with the Independent Committee to ensure that it can complete its work and compile its report within nine months. The Government extends its gratitude to Mr Chan for accepting the appointment as a member of the Independent Committee and for his professional and conscientious approach to the Committee's work. When the Independent Committee's work is completed, the Government looks forward to Mr Chan's continuous contribution through his aforementioned public positions.

Source: AI-found images