The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has launched a new initiative to combat the rising threat of scams targeting students, particularly those from mainland China. The introduction of a scam prevention questionnaire is a mandatory requirement for select students to access certain on-campus facilities. This measure is part of an online fraud prevention learning kit developed by the Hong Kong police's Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, introduced in September 2023. With scam cases on the rise, universities in Hong Kong are taking proactive steps to safeguard their students.
The learning kit is designed to educate students about four prevalent types of fraud through informative videos and a multiple-choice questionnaire. As of January, more than 4,000 students have completed this learning package. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has also adopted similar measures. Since July last year, PolyU requires students to undergo online anti-deception training and pass a test as a precondition for admission. Additionally, PolyU has established 15 WeChat groups in collaboration with police to keep students updated on the latest fraud-related developments.
The need for such initiatives becomes evident when examining the alarming statistics. The number of university students deceived by fraudsters impersonating government officials or law enforcement personnel surged from a monthly average of 24 between July and September last year to 91 in October. Mainland Chinese students in Hong Kong have become increasingly vulnerable to these scams. In one case, an 18-year-old mainland student at HKU was defrauded of HK$9.2 million by a scammer who pretended she was involved in a cross-border money-laundering case.
In response to this trend, the Hong Kong police have issued warnings about fraudsters impersonating officials to target mainlanders. A particularly shocking incident involved criminals attempting to stage the kidnapping of an 18-year-old, demanding HK$6 million from his father as ransom.
Lawmaker Johnny Ng Kit-chong emphasized the need for preventive measures, stating that Chinese students have become "prime targets" for scammers due to "multiple vulnerabilities," such as limited familiarity with local laws and potential language barriers.
"These measures aren’t meant to treat students with suspicion, but rather to provide concrete protection against scams, demonstrating active collaboration between universities and law enforcement," said Johnny Ng Kit-chong.
By tying access to campus facilities to the completion of anti-scam training, universities aim to ensure more students complete the necessary testing. Both HKU and PolyU are exploring strategies to prevent students from falling victim to scams before they even arrive in the city.
Lawmaker and former security minister Lai Tung-kwok supported HKU’s new measure, highlighting its usefulness in reminding mainland students about potential risks.
"proportional" given the “serious consequences” and what were likely to be heavy financial losses to students’ families," said Lai Tung-kwok.
The universities are actively discussing how to enhance fraud awareness among students before they come to Hong Kong for their studies.
"to disseminate anti-fraud messages so that students, especially those newly arrived from the mainland, can personally understand the relevant information, which is different from the general one-way anti-fraud publicity," stated the Police.
HKU hopes that students will quickly complete the task to bolster their awareness against fraud.
"It is hoped that they can complete the task as soon as possible to enhance their anti-fraud awareness," remarked HKU.
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