The legal framework
Identity fraud is prosecuted as fraud or obtaining property by deception under the Theft Ordinance, and as access to a computer with dishonest intent. The police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre operates the 18222 hotline and can work with banks to stop transfers. The Privacy Commissioner handles the underlying data breach.
Identity misuse in Hong Kong is prosecuted through the fraud, theft and forgery offences rather than a dedicated statute, and the operational centre is the police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, reachable on 18222 around the clock. It can contact receiving banks quickly to try to stop a transfer, which is where the value lies — the criminal case usually matters less than the first phone call.
Key points
| Offences | Fraud and obtaining property by deception under the Theft Ordinance |
|---|---|
| Hotline | Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, 18222 |
| Data breach | Complaint to the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data |
| Credit | TransUnion Hong Kong holds consumer credit data |
| Documents | Report a lost identity card to the Immigration Department |
| Banking | HKMA handles complaints about a bank's handling of a case |
| Scameter | A police tool for checking suspicious accounts and phone numbers |
| HKMA | Handles complaints about a bank's conduct |
| Immigration Department | Report a lost identity card immediately |
In practice
- Call 18222 immediately if a payment has been made.
- Report to the police and obtain a report number.
- Check your TransUnion credit report for unfamiliar accounts.
- Report a lost Hong Kong identity card to the Immigration Department.
- Check payees against the police Scameter before transferring money.
Where to go
- Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, 18222.
- Hong Kong Police, Technology Crime Division.
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data.
Worth knowing
The 18222 line exists precisely to stop money in transit. Calling it before doing anything else is what determines whether funds can be recovered. The 18222 line exists to stop money in transit. Calling it before anything else is what determines whether funds can be recovered.
Frequently asked questions
What does 18222 do?
It is the police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre hotline, staffed around the clock. It advises on whether something is a known scam and, crucially, can move to intercept a payment by contacting the receiving bank. Call before you call anyone else if money has left your account.
What should you do in the first hour?
Call your bank and freeze the affected accounts and cards, change the passwords on your email first and then on everything linked to it, and turn on two-factor authentication. Take screenshots of everything before anything is deleted. Then report to the police and keep the reference number: banks, lenders and telecom operators will ask for it before they reverse anything.
Official sources and links
- GovHK — official government portal