A local man lost more than HK$3 million after people posing as logistics-company staff called to say a parcel had been sent incorrectly, police said through CyberDefender. The callers moved him to WhatsApp, started a video call and persuaded him to share his screen and provide a payment QR code.
The deception began with a small apparent refund. The man received HK$35 as purported compensation, then was told that the remaining refund had to be paid through insurance. The callers sent an unfamiliar link to a fake customer-service website, where he was asked for personal information and shown forged compensation-approval documents.
As he was unfamiliar with online banking, the fake customer service guided him to add a designated account as a payee and increase the transfer amount. The scammers supplied a six-digit number, described as a verification code, and told him to enter it in the transfer-amount field before making the transfer.
Police warned people to be suspicious of messages about misdirected parcels or refunds, even when the caller knows personal details. They advised the public not to share phone or computer screens with third parties or enter personal or sensitive information on unfamiliar websites. Anyone with doubts can call Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 or use the police’s risk-assessment tools to check an account, phone number or social-media account.