Alert over increase in online scams as e-commerce grows

Hong Kong consumers are being warned to be increasingly wary of online scams as the e-commerce industry booms.

Information technology lawmaker Charles Mok said that as "more people [are] shopping online … the situation has got worse [and] there are more cases".

Police say technology-related crimes surged more than 70 per cent last year despite the overall crime figure dropping to a 10-year low.

Technology crimes, mainly involving online scams, increased to 5,133 cases last year from 3,015 in 2012. However, the value of the scams almost quadrupled to about HK$863 million from HK$238 million to about HK$863 million.

Mok said that statistically, as e-commerce grows, the increase in crime could be expected.

He advised consumers to use their own discretion to protect themselves from online scams rather than relying on authorities to resolve disputes.

"When these deals are made across borders, sometimes protection [for consumers] may get more complicated," he said.