appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Clifford Lo

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 on the internet.
One of the victims was a 26-year-old man who was targeted after he tried to sell a suitcase on the online platform Carousell and left his contact details on the website.
Police said a scammer posing as a buyer sent the victim a bogus Carousell link through WhatsApp. At first, the seller refused to enter his details on the site, which was used for phishing.
“But later, the scammer told him to contact a fake Carousell ‘customer service’ worker, who claimed he needed to pay a deposit before receiving payment for the suitcase,” the force said.
The man followed instructions to transfer HK$210,000 to a bank account in two transactions.
The victim realised he had been cheated after he was unable to contact the “buyer”.
Police said in a public warning on their CyberDefender Facebook page that “whether you are a buyer or a seller, you should be cautious if someone sends you a link to a third-party website during a transaction, and then asks you to transfer money or give personal details (like email, password, or credit card information). It’s likely to be a scam!”
The force recorded at least 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week, involving losses of nearly HK$14 million – a significant increase from the 230 reports and more than HK$5.7 million in losses in the final week of 2025.
Police said nearly 30 per cent of the cases involved concert tickets, with losses of more than HK$1.4 million.
The force revealed last month that residents lost HK$6.43 billion to various scams in the first 10 months of 2025, an 8 per cent decrease from the same period in 2024.
Of the 35,831 cases reported, 4,515 involved online investment fraud, with losses rising 30 per cent to HK$3.08 billion.
Police chief Joe Chow Yat-ming is expected to give details of the overall crime situation including trends in online scams in 2025, during his first year-end briefing soon.


Woman arrested over child abuse in Hong Kong after dashcam video shows boy shoved

Hong Kong police investigate suspected pinhole cameras in gym changing rooms

Whistle-blower Jason Poon and wife charged over HK$6 million Covid-19 loan fraud

Police arrest 3 over HK$70,000 Jellycat claw machine shop theft

Crime in Hong Kong

Online shopping scams cost Hongkongers HK$14 million in first week of 2026

The cases and losses reported last week marked a significant increase from the 230 reports and more than HK$5.7 million lost in the final week of 2025. Photo: Getty Images

Hong Kong police arrest 7 in crackdown on credit card theft, fraud syndicate

Evidence collected as part of the investigation is displayed at a police press event. Photo: Handout

Retail merchants handling large purchases made with credit cards should verify the holder’s identity, Senior Inspector Tsui Wai-ying says. Photo: handout

8 arrested over attempting to defraud HK$8.24 million from Hong Kong subsidy scheme

Several laptops were seized as part of the investigations. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong police arrest 37 over use of loan scheme to defraud banks of HK$210 million

The syndicate set up 42 shell companies to apply for bank loans worth more than HK$210 million. Photo: Shutterstock

Police are still searching for dozens of suspects, including 19 company directors, but a few of them may have fled Hong Kong. Photo: Sun Yeung

Hongkongers urged to quickly sign up for eMPF platform as defence against scams

The eMPF platform provides users with a one-stop online portal for managing their pension funds. Photo: Handout

The government’s “iAM Smart” app can be used to register for the eMPF platform. Photo: Jelly Tse

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week


Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week.


Online shopping scams cost Hongkongers HK$14 million in first week of 2026

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week

Police urge caution among consumers and sellers after receiving 276 reports of online shopping fraud last week