Police searched industrial-building units in Kwun Tong and Hung Hom on November 5, arresting a 47-year-old local man on suspicion of fraud. They suspected the units were being used as bases for phone scams.
Police said the operation used the units and modem-pool devices to send phishing messages impersonating customer-service staff. A modem pool was operating when officers arrived, with more than 60 activated SIM cards making calls to local numbers. Police seized two modem-pool devices, SIM cards and other electronic equipment.
Police said one of the seized cards was linked to a recent customer-service impersonation scam in which the victim lost more than HK$90,000.
Police recorded as many as 3,900 phone scams in August and September, and said up to 80% involved people impersonating customer-service staff.
A police inspector said the government was reviewing the SIM-card registration system and planned targeted measures, including lowering the number of prepaid SIM cards an individual can register and making it an offence to use cards registered in someone else’s name without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.