Commissioner outlines new strategies for combating escalating fraud trends

Safeguarding national security will remain one of the top operational priorities for the Hong Kong Police Force.

Joe Chow Yat-ming, commissioner of police of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, made the remarks at a year-in-review news conference on Wednesday. Citing the case of former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who was sentenced to 20 years in prison on collusion and sedition offenses, Chow said that the police will unremittingly take necessary measures in accordance with the law against those who endanger national security.

Chow said safeguarding national security remains a key component in the force’s “Strategic Directions 2025-27” and is at the forefront of the “Commissioner’s Operational Priorities for 2026”.

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By the end of 2025, the police’s National Security Department had made 385 arrests since the Hong Kong SAR National Security Law came into effect in June 2020. This includes operations conducted under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which took effect in 2024, as well as other criminal laws.

Chow said that Lai’s 20-year prison sentence reflects the severity of his crime of colluding with external forces to endanger national security. He reaffirmed that the Police Force’s role is to “spearhead” national security efforts, saying it would “resolutely employ to the fullest extent all applicable lawful measures” against any national security threats, and would be “pulling no punches”.

He added that national security and patriotism are now enshrined in the Hong Kong Police Force’s mission and core values.

“National security is everyone’s responsibility,” he said, promising to strengthen public education initiatives, so residents can develop a better understanding of security concepts and see their relevance in daily life.

The police will also adopt a more proactive approach in organizing and policing major international events, Chow said, citing upcoming high-profile gatherings such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Finance Ministers’ Meeting in October.

Crackdown on scams

Crimes such as robbery, burglary, rape, theft, blackmail, juvenile delinquency and triad activities saw declines in 2025, Chow said, contributing to an overall 5.9 percent year-on-year drop in Hong Kong’s overall crime cases, which totaled 89,137.

However, deception offences — totaling 43,212 incidents — still accounted for 48.5 percent of all crime, despite a 2.9 percent year-on-year reduction. Notably, telephone scams targeting Chinese mainland students declined significantly, with incidents down 9.2 percent and losses falling by 16.9 percent.

Chow pledged to renew the police force’s crackdown on scams through tighter local controls and enhanced cross-border cooperation.

He outlined a multipronged anti-scam action to address the increasingly professionalized, industrialized and cross-border character of scam cases. Key initiatives include public awareness campaigns related to investment fraud — online investment fraud soared 30.7 percent year on year to 5,135 cases, making it the city’s costliest type of scam, resulting in HK$3.58 billion ($458 million) in losses.

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Key actions also include dismantling the entire scam ecosystem — targeting both upstream deception sources and downstream mule accounts. The police will also promote the use of Scameter+, an AI-enhanced anti-scam mobile application, and double down on international cooperation to counter the cross‑border threats.

Hong Kong will host the Interpol General Assembly for the first time this year, Chow said, adding that he will make full use of the opportunity to deepen international police cooperation and intensify joint actions against transnational crimes.

For smart policing expansion, Chow highlighted the SmartView project, which aims to install 60,000 closed-circuit televisions across the city by 2028.

He also promised to widen career pathways for officers through increased training and exchange programs.

Contact the writers at wanqing@chinadailyhk.com