Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon Kennedy Wong and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Joseph Chan, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) indicated that a total of 12 441 cases of cross-boundary travellers smuggling cigarettes were detected in the first half of this year. Regarding the combating of activities relating to duty-not-paid cigarettes (illicit cigarettes), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of Hong Kong residents and visitors caught smuggling or carrying excess quantities of cigarettes at various land boundary control points in the first half of this year, the changes in these figures as compared with the same period last year, and the respective quantities and values of the illicit cigarettes involved;
 
(2) given that according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Hong Kong received more than 20 million visitors in the first five months of this year, with Mainland visitors increasing by about 10 per cent year-on-year, whether the authorities have projected if the number of persons illegally carrying illicit cigarettes into Hong Kong will increase; if so, of the preventive measures in place; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(3) apart from increasing the penalty compoundable under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) from $2,000 to $5,000 for bringing tobacco and other dutiable commodities into Hong Kong without proper declaration, of the publicity and educational efforts to be made by the authorities in future and the details of such efforts;
 
(4) it has been reported that advertisements and messages claiming to facilitate the sale and delivery of duty-not-paid illicit cigarettes to Hong Kong consumers via cross-boundary logistics channels have been posted on social media platforms, of the targeted countermeasures taken by the authorities to combat such smuggling; the number of relevant cases detected, the number of persons arrested and the dutiable value of the illicit cigarettes seized from 2024 to date;
 
(5) whether it has reviewed if the current staffing establishment of C&ED is sufficient to cope with the work of combating the bringing-in of illicit cigarettes; whether C&ED will consider increasing manpower to combat such contraventions; if C&ED will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(6) whether C&ED has plans to adopt advanced and innovative technology to assist in combating illicit cigarettes in future; if so, of the details?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109) (the Ordinance), tobacco products are dutiable commodities. Importers or manufacturers shall pay tobacco duty according to the specified rates under the Ordinance. To protect government revenue, the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) has been combating smuggling and trading of illicit cigarettes on different fronts.
 
     Upon consultation with the Health Bureau and C&ED, my reply to Dr the Hon Kennedy Wong’s question is as follows:
 
(1) & (2) C&ED has been adjusting their enforcement strategies to combat the smuggling of illicit tobacco into Hong Kong having regard to the actual situation. Since May this year, C&ED has been presenting the monthly statistics on the number of cases involving seizure of excessive tobacco and liquor and their relevant penalties at all boundary control points (BCPs) and issued press releases on cases involving sentencing to remind visitors of the severity and legal consequences of relevant illegal activities in order to enhance the deterrent effect.
 
     The respective number of Hong Kong residents and visitors arrested for smuggling or carrying excess quantities of cigarettes at land control points in the first half of 2024 and 2025 and the quantities and values of the illicit cigarettes involved are listed in the table below:
 

	January to June 2024		January to June 2025
	Hong Kong residents	Visitors	Hong Kong residents	Visitors
Number of persons arrested	4 166	3 692	6 250	5 544
Quantity of illicit cigarette seized (million sticks)	1.1	0.8	1.1	1.0
Value ($ million)	4.4	3.3	4.8	4.3

 
(3) The Tobacco Control Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2025 (Amendment Bill) was passed by the Legislative Council on September 11, 2025 to implement a series of measures to combat illicit cigarettes, including raising the maximum penalty for relevant offences relating to duty-not-paid tobacco from a $1 million fine and two-year imprisonment to a $2 million fine and seven-year imprisonment; listing the relevant offences under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455) to enable C&ED to freeze assets associated with illicit tobacco activities; increasing the penalty for offences of failing to declare to Customs Officers compoundable under the Ordinance from $2,000 to $5,000; and requiring that cigarettes sold at a price lower than the tobacco duty be proved to be duty-paid. The above measures have taken immediate effect upon the gazettal of the Amendment Bill on September 19.
 
     C&ED has collaborated with relevant government departments, including the Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office of the Department of Health, the Police and the Housing Department, to launch a series of publicity and educational activities. Information on the increased penalties has been disseminated to the community and the public through multiple channels, including broadcasting and publishing a new series of videos, audio clips and posters on major television channels, radios, newspapers and C&ED’s official social media platforms, and publishing a series of posts on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Xiaohongshu, WeChat, etc.
 
     In addition to presenting the monthly statistics on the number of cases and penalties at all BCPs as mentioned above, C&ED also disseminates information on the relevant offences and penalties to visitors through promotion videos, audio clips and mega posters at all BCPs, including the airport, land control points, etc. This serves to remind visitors that carrying dutiable commodities in excess of the duty-free concessions upon immigration is illegal and of the seriousness of the offence. To enhance the awareness of visitors from the Mainland of the new penalties, C&ED has placed advertisements at prominent locations at some Mainland land control points and the handles in the train compartments of metros in the Mainland.
 
     C&ED will continue to visit public housing estates in various districts, trade unions, etc., to conduct interdepartmental anti-illicit cigarette publicity and educational activities and seminars. C&ED will also put up posters and broadcast promotion videos in all the 18 districts of Hong Kong to enhance public awareness of the relevant offences and penalties.
 
(4) C&ED has been closely monitoring sale of illicit cigarettes on the internet and conducting cyber patrols. When suspected cases are detected, C&ED will follow up with investigation and request the relevant websites or social media platforms to block the accounts concerned and remove the relevant illicit cigarette advertisements. From January to August 2025, a total of 266 relevant advertisements have been removed.
 
     On combatting cross-boundary logistics smuggling, C&ED detected 766 cases from January 2024 to August 2025 and seized about 670 million illicit cigarettes in total, with a duty potential of about $2.21 billion. A total of 188 persons have been arrested.
 
     C&ED will strengthen intelligence gathering and closely monitor the latest updates of illicit cigarettes activities. It will continue to strengthen enforcement at BCPs to intercept the inflow of illicit cigarettes into local markets. If illegal activities are detected, C&ED will take resolute enforcement actions.
 
(5) and (6) C&ED has been putting forward the development of Smart Customs to enhance detection capability and clearance efficiency through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics to facilitate risk management. C&ED has fully deployed advanced non-intrusive inspection equipment, such as Computed Tomography Scanners with AI functions, auto-detection devices for X-ray checkers, Smart Under Vehicle Robots, Platform for X-ray Image Evaluation, Vehicle Inspection and Strategic Analysis System, etc., in order to combat illicit cigarettes activities more effectively. C&ED will introduce advanced equipment and innovative technologies as appropriate to continuously enhance the detection capabilities and enhance enforcement effectiveness in combatting illicit cigarette activities.
 
     In addition, C&ED has amended the Ordinance to implement a duty stamp system, requiring importers/local manufacturers to ensure that each package of duty-paid cigarettes is affixed with a duty stamp when being put on the market for sale. Through the application of anti-forgery features and related digital technologies, frontline officers of C&ED would be able to distinguish duty-paid cigarettes from duty-not-paid ones in a more effective manner, enhancing efficiency of law enforcement. C&ED targets to implement the first phase of the duty stamp system in Q4 2026, with full implementation in Q2 2027.
 
     C&ED will review the staff establishment regularly and flexibly deploy resources to handle anti-illicit cigarette work.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     The Education Bureau (EDB) today (September 25) invites parents and students of kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools across Hong Kong, as well as members of the public, to participate in the Family Resilience Series: Parent-Child FUNtastic Free Verse Challenge.

     A spokesman for the EDB said, “This event aims to encourage parents and children to showcase their creativity by composing a free verse poem to show how parents and children can foster mental well-being by approaching life’s challenges with a positive attitude and building resilience.”

     The competition comprises four groups, namely Kindergarten, Primary, Secondary, and Open Groups. Parent-child participation is required for the Kindergarten Group while entries from individuals or teams are accepted for Primary, Secondary and Open Groups. The maximum team size for parent-child or team entries is four participants. Participants are required to capture the event theme through composing a free verse poem. Entries must be submitted through their respective schools (Kindergarten, Primary, and Secondary Groups) or via the competition webpage (Open Group) (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net/topics/article/ppc-competition2025) by October 31. All participants submitting eligible entries will receive a certificate of commendation and a souvenir.

     Each group will award champion, 1st runner-up, 2nd runner-up, merit awards, and The Most Liked Award. Twenty eligible entries will be shortlisted from each group for public voting via the competition webpage (www.parent.edu.hk/en/smart-parent-net/topics/article/ppc-competition2025) from December 5 to 19 to select The Most Liked Award.

     All finalists must recite their free verse poems in the Parent-Child FUNtastic Free Verse Challenge Final cum Prize Presentation Ceremony to be held on January 24, 2026 (Saturday), where an adjudication panel will select the winners on the spot.

     Additionally, schools receiving the School Active Participation Award in the competition may nominate parents and students to attend the Positive Parent Campaign Activity Day 2025 at Ocean Park Hong Kong (OPHK) on December 13 (Saturday). The Activity Day features a variety of activities, including the kick-off ceremony, a parent-child handcraft workshop, guided tours to animal exhibits, parent-child exploration tasks, and interactive games. The activities allow parents and children to learn about the habits and adaptability of different animals, thereby encouraging them to face difficulties with a positive mindset and build resilience.

     The awards and prizes for each group in the Family Resilience Series: Parent-Child FUNtastic Free Verse Challenge are as follows:
 

Award	Prize
Champion	Trophy, certificate of commendation and $1,000 gift voucher
1st Runner-up	Trophy, certificate of commendation and $800 gift voucher
2nd Runner-up	Trophy, certificate of commendation and $600 gift voucher
Merit Award (five awards)	Certificate of commendation and $300 gift voucher
The Most Liked Award	Certificate of commendation and $500 gift voucher
School Active Participation Award Champion	Trophy, certificate of commendation, $1,000 gift voucher and eight sets of OPHK admission tickets*
School Active Participation Award Merit Award (nine awards)	Certificate of commendation, $500 gift voucher and four sets of OPHK admission tickets*

*Award-winning schools will receive corresponding OPHK admission tickets. The nominated families will receive two OPHK adult admission tickets and one child/student admission ticket to join the Positive Parent Campaign Activity Day 2025.

The EDB aims to raise awareness of the Positive Parent Campaign among students, parents and the public through activities under the Family Resilience Series, and to complement the promotion of the 4Rs Mental Health Charter. Parents are encouraged to uphold the four essential elements in fostering mental health, namely Rest, Relaxation, Relationship and Resilience, and work together with schools to create an environment conducive to the healthy development of students.

The EDB has been running the Positive Parent Campaign since June 2020 to promote positive parent education through extensive and diversified channels. The objective is to foster parents’ positive thinking and promote proper ways and attitudes for nurturing children, thereby developing in parents a positive and optimistic mindset that contributes to the effective learning and happy development of children. For updates on the Positive Parent Campaign, please visit the Smart Parent Net website (www.parent.edu.hk/en/).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) jointly announced Hong Kong’s Roadmap for the Development of Fixed Income and Currency (FIC) Markets (Roadmap) today (September 25) to position the city strategically as a global FIC hub by fostering demand, liquidity and innovation.

     The Roadmap outlines key initiatives across the four pillars of primary market issuance, secondary market liquidity, offshore renminbi (RMB) business, and next-generation infrastructure. Formulated in close consultation with industry stakeholders, the Roadmap will guide the policy making and implementation of the SFC and the HKMA in coming years to support the sustainable and diversified growth of Hong Kong’s capital markets.

     Among the 10 proposed initiatives, the Roadmap seeks to reinforce Hong Kong’s existing foundations by further attracting issuers to make use of Hong Kong as their fund-raising hub, and providing issuers and investors with risk and liquidity management tools. It also places equal emphasis on breaking new ground, by boosting offshore RMB usage and liquidity, as well as developing next-generation infrastructure to facilitate market innovation (see Appendix).   

     To facilitate further dialogue with market participants on FIC, the two regulators co-hosted the Fixed Income and Currency Forum 2025 successfully today. The event brought together senior officials of Hong Kong and the Mainland, regulators and leaders from major financial institutions to exchange insights on opportunities, challenges and emerging trends in the global FIC landscape.   

     The Chairman of the SFC, Dr Kelvin Wong, said, “As vital engines for global capital flows, Hong Kong’s FIC markets are central to the city’s international stature and long-term development. The Roadmap is poised to guide our market evolution that will benefit issuers, investors and intermediaries alike for years to come.”

     The Chief Executive of the HKMA, Mr Eddie Yue, said, “To position Hong Kong as a global FIC hub and further cement our position as the premier offshore RMB business centre, we will continue to build on our strengths, adapt to market changes and innovate, and capitalise on emerging trends, including RMB internationalisation and the digitalisation of the FIC market. The Roadmap comprehensively set out our work focuses in the near future. We look forward to implementing the initiatives in collaboration with industry stakeholders.”

     The Chief Executive Officer of the SFC, Ms Julia Leung, said, “Strengthening Hong Kong’s FIC markets is essential to advancing its position as an investment and fund-raising hub. The Roadmap reflects our close collaboration and shared commitment with the HKMA, industry partners and other stakeholders to enhance Hong Kong’s vital role in bridging the Mainland and international capital markets.”

     The full Roadmap is available on the SFC’s and the HKMA’s websites.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB) today (September 25) invites relevant industry players to submit expressions of interest (EOI) for the development of green maritime fuel storage facilities on a site in Tsing Yi South. 

In order to meet the decarbonisation target for international shipping set by the International Maritime Organization, of which Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) is an associate member, the HKSAR Government promulgated the Action Plan on Green Maritime Fuel Bunkering in November 2024, setting out clear targets, strategies and actions to develop Hong Kong into a green maritime fuel bunkering and trading centre. One of the measures set out in the Action Plan is to prepare a coastal site identified in Tsing Yi South for green maritime fuel storage. As such, as mentioned in the Chief Executive’s 2025 Policy Address, the TLB will conduct an EOI exercise to ascertain the market’s interest and plans on developing green maritime fuel storage facilities on the site, with the feedback collected to be taken into consideration in the Government’s planning for the site to cater for the industry’s needs and facilitate the development of green maritime fuel storage, bunkering and trading activities in Hong Kong.  

A spokesperson for the TLB said, “Green maritime fuel storage facilities are key infrastructure for the development of a green maritime fuel supply chain in Hong Kong, and the size and location of the site are ideal for such development. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to submit EOIs and indicate ideas on the site development including development mode, design of the storage facility and operation plan, etc. The EOI exercise is not a tender exercise nor part of a procurement exercise.”

The site is a piece of largely formed flat land of around nine hectares in size with seafront access. It is currently zoned as “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Container Related Uses”. Subject to the views gathered through this EOI exercise, the Government will go through the necessary procedures for applying for the relevant planning permission for using the site as a Dangerous Goods Godown, so that it can be developed for the storage of low- or zero-emission green maritime fuels, including but not limited to liquefied natural gas, green methanol, green ammonia, hydrogen and biodiesel. In case of need, the use of a minor portion of the site for storage of green fuels for non-maritime usage during the initial period could be considered.  

The future developer and operator of the site shall prepare, construct and operate the green maritime fuel storage facilities at its own cost on a commercial basis. A pier shall also be constructed for the loading and unloading of green maritime fuel to be stored on the site.

The deadline for submission of EOIs is noon on November 25, 2025 (Tuesday). The TLB, together with the Civil Engineering and Development Department, will hold online briefing sessions on the EOI invitation. Details of the EOI invitation and briefing sessions can be found on the webpage of the TLB (www.tlb.gov.hk/eng/highlights/transport/greenfuelstorage_eoi.html).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (September 25):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that some merchants offer for sale a wide variety of forged Hong Kong general certification documents, including tertiary institution student cards, graduation certificates, Hong Kong identity cards, warrant cards of disciplined services, parking permit stickers of various clubs and even counterfeit Closed Road Permits ( Closed Area Permit) on Mainland e-commerce platforms. In addition, some media have uncovered that there are numerous merchants on Mainland e-commerce platforms offering false Hong Kong utility bills for water, electricity and gas, along with fabricated pay slips and tenancies for use as proof of address. Some sellers even use genuine Hong Kong address information on such false bills. It is also pointed out that residents are unaware that their addresses have been stolen. There are views that the sale of such diverse, hard-to-verify false Hong Kong certification documents and bills has become seriously prevalent. At the same time, on his personal social media, the current Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and former Chief Executive of Hong Kong wrote that “integrity, business reputation and law-abiding awareness are the advantages upon which Hong Kong relies for its survival. Any counterfeit Hong Kong-related items should be removed from shelves.” He also called on the involved Mainland e-commerce platforms to “make money with integrity and not to damage the reputation of all Chinese merchants.” In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) regarding Mainland merchants’ illegal sale of false Hong Kong certification documents and bills, apart from the aforesaid urge made personally by the Vice-Chairman of the CPPCC and former Chief Executive, of the Government’s policies to address the issue;
 
(2) whether any investigation has been conducted into whether the aforesaid sale of false certification documents and bills has led to a large number of lawbreakers committing fraud, enrolling in schools, engaging in employment, opening bank or financial accounts, or obtaining social services and benefits in Hong Kong; if investigation has been conducted, of the details, and whether any successful prosecutions have been made;
 
(3) as it has been reported that nearly a thousand post-secondary students were defrauded of over $100 million in the first half of this year, with “Hong Kong drifter” students making up half of the victims, whether the authorities have investigated or assessed the connection between numerous cases involving people coming to Hong Kong from the Mainland being defrauded of substantial amounts of money and the use of false certification documents or bills, such as whether anyone used forged law enforcement credentials to commit fraud in Hong Kong, or whether any victims, after gaining employment or admission to institutions using false certification documents, illegally transferred Mainland funds to Hong Kong, thus falling into scams out of fear of investigations by Mainland law enforcement agencies; if the authorities have, of the number of similar cases detected;
 
(4) of the measures or policies in place to safeguard the aforesaid “advantages upon which Hong Kong relies for its survival” and protect Hong Kong’s integrity, business reputation and law-abiding awareness, and to ensure that Mainland e-commerce platforms will “make money with integrity” and eliminate all goods involving false Hong Kong certification documents; and
 
(5) whether any research or assessment has been conducted on how the aforesaid rampant sale of false certificates and documents and countless counterfeit goods sold in Hong Kong such as false Cordyceps seeds, counterfeit drinking water and counterfeit wall tiles, as well as many students and professionals found to have used forged academic documents, have impacted the “honour system” upheld by Hong Kong for years; whether the authorities will change from the previous trust-based philosophy when formulating policies in the future, so as to strengthen safeguards against such illegal activities?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     Deception is a serious crime. Any person who commits the offence of “fraud” under section 16A of the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) is liable to imprisonment for up to 14 years, while any person charged with “obtaining property by deception” under section 17 of the same Ordinance is liable to imprisonment for up to 10 years. Sections 71 to 75 of the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200) provide that the maximum penalty for making, using or possessing a false instrument is imprisonment for 14 years. In addition, any person charged with “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence” under section 25 of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 455) for proceeds of deception is liable to maximum penalties of 14 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $5 million.
 
     Regardless of whether deception takes place online or offline and the tactics used, the Government will take stern enforcement actions and there will be no tolerance as long as there are illegal activities involved.
 
     The reply to the Member’s question is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The Government has noticed that some merchants have been selling forged certification documents and other suspected false instruments via online platforms recently. We express great concern over such suspected illegal activities.
 
     Firstly, using a false instrument to deceive or committing the aforesaid offences under the Theft Ordinance (Cap. 210) carries a maximum penalty of imprisonment for 14 years. In addition, under the Crimes Ordinance (Cap. 200), making, selling or using a false instrument (including forged certification documents, certificates, bills and tenancies as mentioned in the question) is a serious crime. A person who makes a false instrument, or uses or possesses an instrument (or a copy of it) which is and which he knows or believes to be false, with the intention to induce somebody to accept it as genuine and, as a result, to do or not to do some act to his own or any other person’s prejudice, is liable on conviction to imprisonment for up to 14 years.
 
     As a matter of fact, the Hong Kong Police Force has been taking stringent enforcement actions against crimes relating to forgery of documents. From January to July 2025, the Police received a total of 546 cases involving forgery of documents and arrested 337 persons. In the first quarter of 2025, trials for 46 cases initiated in respect of relevant crimes were concluded. The conviction rate was about 85 per cent.
 
     Targeting cross-border crimes involving the making and using of false Hong Kong identity cards (HKICs), the Police conducted an operation in collaboration with the Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD) and relevant law enforcement agencies of the Mainland in August, arresting a total of 42 persons in the Mainland and Hong Kong. A production base of forged HKICs was smashed in Shenzhen, where some 60 finished items of forged certification documents, as well as raw materials and tools for producing forged documents, were seized.
 
     The Police have all long maintained close co-operation with Mainland public security authorities and established an intelligence exchange mechanism to combat relevant cross-border crimes. The Police recently noticed and suspected that some unscrupulous merchants were selling forged certification documents and bills of Hong Kong on Mainland online platforms. Mainland public security authorities were immediately notified of such, and the platforms concerned were requested to act promptly to remove the relevant posts and take further follow up actions. While the Police have not observed a significant upward trend in this modus operandi at this stage, we will not let our guard down. The Police will continue to pay attention to such modus operandi and maintain close co-operation with relevant Mainland authorities to combat these crimes.
 
(3) New arrivals to Hong Kong, in particular Mainland students coming to Hong Kong for studies, are more prone to becoming victims of fraud because they are unfamiliar with Hong Kong’s systems, fraud situation and ways of seeking help. Impersonating government officials is one of the common tactics employed to defraud this group. To tackle such fraudulent activities (whether forged identification cards of government officials are involved or not), the Police have been taking stringent enforcement actions. From January to August 2025, the Police received 584 fraud cases involving impersonation of government officials, which represents a decrease of 10.2 per cent from the same period last year. The monetary loss incurred has significantly dropped by 64.7 per cent, showing the effectiveness of the Police’s fraud prevention efforts on all fronts.
 
     Besides law enforcement, raising public awareness is also of vital importance. On publicity and education, the Police have devised targeted anti-fraud strategies for various groups. In collaboration with the National Immigration Administration, the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security and the ImmD, the Police have produced anti-fraud video clips showing the modus operandi of fraudsters impersonating government officials, with a view to heightening the alertness of the new arrivals. Starting from June 2025, the videos are broadcast across boundary control points, exit-entry service halls in the Mainland as well as social media platforms including Xiaohongshu and Douyin.
 
     To provide strengthened protection particularly for students who newly arrive in Hong Kong, the Police and the National Anti-Fraud Center have jointly organised both online and offline sharing sessions for the students and their parents. Informative materials on fraud prevention have also been distributed to parents. To continue to step up publicity and education for them after their arrival, the Police have collaborated with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to conduct a survey on the awareness of fraud among university students earlier. Of the over 3 000 replies collected, it was found that nearly 85 per cent of the respondents have enrolled in the anti-scam online learning package, with the participation rate of Mainland students exceeding 90 per cent. For students who had completed the learning package, the number who fell prey to fraud and suffered monetary loss were 58 per cent lower than those who had never enrolled in the learning package. The Police will continue to co-ordinate with institutions and arrange for new students’ enrolment in the learning package.
 
     Since the beginning of this new school year, the Police have visited various universities to carry out anti-fraud publicity campaigns. Earlier on, the Commissioner of Police has also sent a letter to the newly arrived students and their parents through all tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, urging them to pay particular attention to several common fraud tactics and advising them of ways to guard against such fraud. They are also encouraged to make good use of the Police’s Anti Scam Helpline and “Scameter+”.
 
(4) and (5) The Government is committed to consolidating Hong Kong’s status as a shopping paradise. To maintain consumers’ confidence in shopping in Hong Kong, there are various laws in Hong Kong to protect consumers’ rights and interests. The Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED), being the principal enforcement agency of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance, carries out compliance promotion as well as publicity and education in addition to enforcement actions, with a view to combating unfair trade practices. To combat online infringement crimes, the C&ED has an Anti-Internet Piracy Team in place specifically responsible for conducting online investigations. It also operates automated online monitoring systems to conduct 24-hour online patrols and detect online infringing activities. When the sale of infringing items on online trading platforms is confirmed, the C&ED will request the removal of posts involving infringing activities from the platforms.
 
     As regards the acts of false statement and fraud, including illegal activities involving the making, using or possessing of a false instrument as elaborated above, relevant law enforcement agencies will follow up on every case stringently to bring the criminals to justice.
 
     The fight against fraud counts on the concerted efforts of the entire society (on the levels of the Government, organisations and individuals) to build an anti-fraud barrier, stay vigilant at all times and take every practicable measure to leave no chance for the fraudsters. When suspicious circumstances are identified, the public should immediately report to the Police, which will take follow-up actions seriously. The Government also reminds all members of the public not to commit any offence out of momentary greed.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region