Internet fraudsters tricked more than 270 Hong Kong residents out of nearly HK$14 million (US$1.8 million) through online shopping scams in the first week of 2026, police have said. The average daily loss of HK$2 million prompted the force to issue a scam alert on Monday, urging caution among online consumers and people selling products…
Nearly a third of scam victims who sought counselling through a Hong Kong welfare group’s crisis hotlines last year had possible suicidal tendencies, according to a study by the organisation. The Caritas Family Crisis Support Centre said on Sunday that its hotline service handled 3,983 debt-related cases in 2025, with more than 31 per cent…
Hong Kong authorities have renamed the emerging drug “space oil” as etomidate, after its main ingredient, as part of efforts to avoid promoting any positive feelings towards the narcotic. Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung also said on Thursday that police had intercepted 250,000 vape cartridges containing the drug in the first half of this…
Hong Kong and Macau police have cracked down on a cross-border phone scam syndicate that defrauded victims of HK$22 million (US$2.8 million) across 168 cases. The operation resulted in the arrests of three men and four women in Macau, aged between 27 and 48, who were suspected to be involved in about 160 telephone scams,…