Scam cases fall for first time since 2019 in Hong Kong, annual figures show
A surprising reversal in a major crime trend after years of increases.
Deep Dive
Hong Kong police reported a 2.9% drop in scam cases in 2025, marking the first annual decline since 2019. Despite the decrease, deception still accounted for nearly half of all 89,137 recorded crimes. Overall crime fell 5.9%. The data shows a shift after a sustained multi-year rise in scams, though they remain the dominant crime category by a significant margin.
Why It Matters
This signals a potential turning point in combating the region's pervasive scam epidemic, which impacts thousands annually.