On October 15th, Hong Kong Security Bureau Chief Deng Bingqiang revealed on social media that he received a suspicious phone call suspected to be a scam. According to media reports, this was the second time Deng Bingqiang had received such a call.
In a video posted on his social media platform, Deng Bingqiang shared that the caller claimed to be a security bureau personnel and told him, “You are suspected of violating mainland laws. Come to the 10th floor of the government headquarters immediately to verify your identity and assist in the investigation.” Deng Bingqiang asked which unit of the security bureau the caller belonged to and mentioned that he was currently on the 10th floor, asking the caller to come and find him.
The scammer promptly hung up the phone. In the video, Deng Bingqiang warned that scammers often impersonate government officials, citing legal issues to coerce the call recipients into participating in fraudulent activities.
Regarding the incident of the Security Bureau Chief receiving a scam call, netizens on social media platforms expressed various reactions. Some sarcastically called the call “the best dark humor” while others joked about scammers losing their sense of identity amidst chaos. One netizen remarked, “Laughing first then feeling chills – if even the Security Bureau Chief can be deceived, can ordinary people withstand such calls?”
In fact, this was not the first time Deng Bingqiang received such a scam call. During a radio program on September 21st, he disclosed that he had previously received a fraudulent call impersonating the Security Bureau, requesting his presence on the 10th floor of the government headquarters. However, he immediately hung up the call at that time.
Phone scams in Hong Kong remain rampant. Police data released in October indicated that there were over 29,000 reported fraud cases in the first eight months of this year. Telephone scams continue to be one of the most serious types of fraud, constituting approximately 27% of the total fraud cases. In August alone, over 5,100 cases were reported, marking a historic high for a single month.