Foreigner Loses HK$10 Million in 3 Days in ‘Tech support’ Scam

Source: OT-Team(G),星岛新闻

  Hong Kong media reported on 15 July that local police had recorded 12 cases of tech support scams in the past two months, resulting in losses exceeding HKD 17 million. The victims are mainly foreigners living in Hong Kong or people who can communicate in English.

  A foreigner, referred to as May (pseudonym), encountered a fake operating system warning message while browsing the web on June 24. The message urged her to contact "technical support." Following the instructions, she called the provided number and was told her computer had been compromised. She was then referred to a scammer posing as law enforcement. The fraudsters, pretending to assist her, convinced her to transfer money to a "secure" account. Over the next few days, she was repeatedly asked to authorize various transfers, including online bank transfers, purchasing virtual currency, and setting up virtual currency wallets. It wasn't until two days later that she realized she had been scammed, losing approximately HKD 10 million.

  Chief Inspector Chan Chun-ching of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau described the modus operandi of online tech support scams. He explained that scammers place ads on various online platforms and use pop-up windows and notifications that mimic operating system or antivirus software warnings. These "notifications" alert victims to supposed errors or viruses on their computers and provide a phone number for assistance.

  The pop-up windows force the browser into full-screen mode and display unremovable warning messages, making victims believe their computers are genuinely locked. This tactic induces panic, prompting victims to call the so-called "technical support center."

  Upon calling the "technical support center," scammers claim the victim's computer has been hacked and that their personal or bank account information is at risk. The victim is then referred to fake law enforcement officers who use various pretexts to persuade the victim to transfer their bank deposits to accounts controlled by the scammers. Chan added that in similar local cases, scammers primarily communicate in English, making expatriates or English-speaking residents the main targets.

  Senior Inspector Chan Chi-wing from the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau demonstrated how fake tech support messages are received and cautioned the public. He emphasized that legitimate tech companies typically do not proactively offer technical support to fix users' computers, and their error or warning messages generally do not include contact numbers. If a message displays a phone number, it should not be called. If an error message appears on your computer, try pressing and holding the escape key (ESC), accessing the system administrator, or even restarting the computer to close the problematic page.

  Additionally, Chan noted that scammers often request remote access to victims' computers. He warned that scammers can steal files from the computer through remote control and advised the public to avoid downloading programs from unofficial sources to prevent malware infections on their electronic devices.