The legal framework
The police operate an anti-deception coordination centre with a round-the-clock hotline whose purpose is precisely to intercept transfers before they leave the system. A public search tool allows a bank account, phone number or website to be checked against known fraud reports before any payment is made.
The police Anti-Deception Coordination Centre operates a 24-hour hotline on 18222 and can move quickly to stop a payment by contacting the receiving bank, which is where recovery actually happens. A public scam-checking tool lets you enter a phone number, bank account, payee or web address and see whether it appears in reported cases — a genuinely useful check before paying anyone new.
Key points
| Fastest lever | Blocking or freezing at the bank or wallet provider, within the hour |
|---|---|
| Criminal reporting | National cybercrime or commercial crime unit |
| Recovery window | Minutes to hours; almost nothing afterwards |
| Card payments | Chargeback where the scheme allows it, with a strict deadline |
| Cryptocurrency | Effectively unrecoverable |
| Evidence | Transaction references and message screenshots are decisive |
| Sextortion | Never pay; report and preserve the evidence |
In practice
- Call the bank or wallet provider before doing anything else — that call, not the police report, is what can stop the money.
- Report anyway even where recovery is impossible: the same accounts and numbers recur across victims.
- Export the conversation before blocking the profile, which usually disappears within hours.
- Never pay a blackmailer: a first payment identifies you as someone who pays.
Cost and coverage
Reporting channels are free.
Where to go
- Police anti-deception coordination centre, 24-hour hotline
- Public tool to check accounts, numbers and websites
- Your bank's fraud line, immediately
- Consumer council, for related disputes
Worth knowing
Recovery is a race against a withdrawal, not against an investigation. Every minute spent deciding whether it was really a scam is a minute the money is still movable.
Frequently asked questions
How do you check whether something is a scam?
Use the police scam-checking tool, which searches reported phone numbers, bank accounts, email addresses and websites, and shows a warning where there are known reports. It takes seconds and covers the most common vectors. For anything ambiguous, call 18222.
How do romance scams usually work?
A months-long build-up of affection, always with a reason not to meet or to video-call, followed by a first emergency — a medical bill, a customs charge, a blocked transfer — and then an escalating series of them. The newer variant adds an investment platform that shows a rising balance you can never withdraw. The tell is not the story; it is that money must always move away from you, and quickly.
Official sources and links
- Scameter, Hong Kong Police — check a bank account, phone number or website before paying
- Anti-Deception Coordination Centre — 18222 — 24-hour hotline able to intercept transfers
- GovHK — official government portal