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Leopold Chen

Hong Kong police have announced a plan to launch a raffle on October 1 to boost public awareness of scams amid the growing trend of fraud cases in the city.
Through the raffle, the force aims to boost downloads of its anti-scam app, Scameter, which helps users identify suspicious web links, mobile numbers and bank accounts.
The Post breaks down the move by authorities and what sweeteners worth HK$3 million (US$385,500) are available for participants.
1. What is Scameter?
Scameter is a search engine platform for users to identify frauds and online pitfalls.
Users can access Scameter through the app or website and use the search bar to check suspicious web links, phone numbers and bank accounts against the police’s database.
They may also flag the potentially harmful links to the force via the app.
A system walk-through by the Post found that users may also activate the automatic call alert and website detection functions. But the app would have to access call and virtual private network, or VPN, settings on the device to perform these functions.
2. How can I participate?
Participants will earn lucky draw tokens by completing different tasks with the app. One token is all that is required to join a lucky draw for daily prizes.
A user will be granted one token each for downloading the app, enabling call alert, activating web detection and registering for the public report function.
One can register a token for grand prize draws after joining the daily ones.
Two additional tokens can be obtained per week by performing searches for suspicious links, numbers or bank accounts, and sharing anti-scam information on social media platforms.
The tasks to get extra tokens are renewed every Monday. This means one user may have a maximum of 14 chances to join the raffle.

3. What is up for grabs?
More than 40,000 prizes worth over HK$3 million will be handed out, from coupons to an electric vehicle. Prizes are classified into “daily prizes” and “grand prizes”. Users are allowed to participate in both.
Daily prizes include HK$10 WeChat Pay coupons, staycation packages and police anti-scam dolls.
Grand prizes include a BYD Dolphin electric car worth HK$209,000, an HONOR Magic 6 mobile phone valued at HK$10,599 and a set of HK$10,000 in supermarket coupons.
Two packages of round-trip air tickets to Taipei and Bangkok, with two tickets in each set, are also among the grand prizes.
The results of daily prizes will be announced immediately, and winners will be instructed to grab their goodies via their registered emails, while those of grand prizes will be announced on October 31st.
4. Who is eligible?
Holders of a valid Hong Kong identity card who have downloaded the Scameter app are eligible.
Participants should get the most updated version of the app. They will also need to register via their app using their ID numbers, phone numbers and email addresses.
5. Why is the raffle being held?
Police have said the raffle is an “innovative attempt” to raise anti-scam awareness among residents and boost the use of Scameter.
“Our app has been downloaded more than 570,000 times, but that falls behind our expectations as it is not even one-tenth of the Hong Kong population,” said Keith Yip Wan-lung, senior assistant commissioner and director of the crime and security department.
“We hope to leverage the lucky draw as an incentive, attracting more residents to download the app.”
Hong Kong reported 24,407 scams in the first seven months of this year, 12 per cent more than the same period last year.
Telephone deceptions saw the fastest growth, as their number more than doubled to 4,594 from January to July 2024, compared with the first seven months last year.


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Crime in Hong Kong

Hong Kong police’s HK$3 million Scameter raffle: how to participate and what you can win

More than 40,000 prizes worth over HK$3 million will be handed out, from coupons to a BYD electric car. Photo: Sun Yeung

The force is hoping to boost downloads of its anti-scam app, Scameter, through the raffle. Photo: Sun Yeung

Hong Kong police launch lucky draws with HK$3 million in prizes to boost Scameter app downloads

Police senior assistant commissioner and director of crime and security Keith Yip (left) and Raymond Lam Cheuk-ho, chief superintendent of the cybersecurity and technology crime bureau. Photo: Sun Yeung

Chief Superintendent Raymond Lam says some alleged scammers have registered phone numbers using false documents. Photo: Sun Yeung

New fraud victim every 13 minutes: Hong Kong police Scameter app upgraded to send pop-up alerts amid HK$5.5 billion in tech-related losses

A fraud victim talks about her experience of being cheated by a fraudster. Photo: May Tse.

Tang Kwok-hin and Chan Shun-ching of the police cybersecurity team unveil the newest features added to the force’s fraud-busting Scameter app. Photo: May Tse.

Tougher security measures for Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System from this weekend as police move to combat increase in scams

The Faster Payment System is to issue “high risk” warnings from Sunday if users attempt to send cash to accounts flagged “high risk” on the police Scameter. Photo: Getty Images

Hong Kong’s Faster Payment System is to add a new line of defence to protect the public from fraud. Photo: Handout

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Hong Kong

Law and Crime

The Post breaks down this unprecedented publicity drive by police and what sweeteners are available for participants


The Post breaks down this unprecedented publicity drive by police and what sweeteners are available for participants.


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Hong Kong police

Scams and swindles

Cybersecurity

Electric & new energy vehicles

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Explainer | Hong Kong police’s HK$3 million Scameter raffle: how to participate and what you can win

The Post breaks down this unprecedented publicity drive by police and what sweeteners are available for participants

1. What is Scameter?