HK phone scam losses surge 56% as customer-service impersonation tops tactics

Hong Kong police report a 56% year-on-year increase in phone scam losses in H1 2026, driven by a 45% rise in customer-service impersonation fraud to 4,830 cases, even as overall deception cases fell 0.7%. The trend highlights a shift toward more sophisticated social engineering, with authorities warning of escalating financial impact.