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Clifford Lo

Scammers have swindled 81 Hongkongers out of more than HK$12 million (US$1.5 million) in a week through bogus online job offers.
The force reminded the public to remain vigilant over employment fraud in an alert posted on its CyberDefender Facebook page on Monday.
Officers handled 1,447 reports of all types of online job scams between January and June this year, with financial losses amounting to HK$334 million.
Police said they received 81 reports of online employment fraud on their CyberDefender page last week, with losses reaching as much as HK$12.3 million.
One of the victims was duped out of more than HK$400,000 in a “click-farming” job scam after he received a WhatsApp message.
“The scammer offered online promotional work and shared a fake website link,” the force said, noting the man followed the instructions to register and log in to the website to perform “click-farming” tasks.
“Subsequently, another trickster pretended to be a customer service representative from the website and coaxed the victim into making multiple money transfers.”

The man realised it was a scam when he did not receive the money he had spent, as well as the promised commission, and was unable to reach the fraudster.
In click-farming ruses, jobseekers are usually told their duties are to boost sales and the popularity of a retail outlet by using their own money to shop online, with swindlers promising to pay them back with a commission.
“Click-farming scams are not new. Fraudsters typically use social media to lure individuals with promises of quick money, no educational requirements, no experience needed and high commissions,” the force said.
Police have warned tricksters sometimes used small commission payments as “bait” to coax their targets into making more transactions and spending even more money.
Click farming pushed the number of online employment fraud cases to 3,518 last year, with recorded losses reaching HK$760 million.
In 2022, the city logged 2,884 cases with financial losses amounting to HK$459 million. The figure was more than four times the HK$85 million swindlers pocketed in 1,063 cases in 2021.
A total of 236 cases involving financial losses of HK$10.5 million were recorded in 2020.
The force advised residents to use its Scameter search engine, accessible through the CyberDefender website or app, to check for suspicious or fraudulent schemes.
The search engine contains information that can help the public identify suspicious web addresses, emails, platform usernames, bank accounts, mobile phone numbers and IP addresses.


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The force has advised residents to use its Scameter search engine to check for suspicious or fraudulent schemes. Photo: SCMP

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News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

One victim duped out of more than HK$400,000 in click farming job scam after receiving WhatsApp message, police say


One victim duped out of more than HK$400,000 in click farming job scam after receiving WhatsApp message, police say.


Scams and swindles

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