Hong Kong is reportedly working with the Chinese mainland authorities to raise mainland students’ anti-scam awareness, including requiring them to complete a fraud prevention questionnaire before they arrive in the city.

The development follows a recent phone scam involving fake government officials targeting a mainland student who lost around HK$9.2 million ($1.18 million).

Studying at the University of Hong Kong, the 18-year-old victim received calls in November accusing her of participating in a money laundry scheme. She transferred about HK$9.2 million to the fraudsters, who claimed to be law enforcement officials from the mainland, between December and January, according to the Hong Kong Police.

The Police Force is reportedly discussing strategies with Chinese mainland authorities on how to protect mainland students from being scammed. The measures include incorporating an anti-fraud questionnaire for mainland students to complete when applying for a travel endorsement to study in Hong Kong, according to local media reports.

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On Thursday, the University of Hong Kong sent an email to students to inform them that over 60 HKU students have fallen victim to scams recently, losing more than HK$60 million in total.

The email also requests all students to take part in an anti-scam quiz before Feb 10. Those who fail to comply may be deprived of access to the library, the university said.

The quiz, designed by the police, consists of 31 multiple-choice questions, covering the approaches and motives involved in attempted phone scams, online romance scams and investment scams.

Of the questions, 11 are about scams involving online romance and investments, nine are about phone scams, and three are related to online shopping scams.

The police also set seven questions promoting the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre, the Scameter+ mobile application, and the Anti-Scam Helpline (18222), and one question inviting students to join a WeChat group to receive the latest anti-fraud information distributed by police.

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Similar anti-scam promotion measures were adopted by local higher education institutions last year. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University requires students to complete an anti-fraud questionnaire when they apply for a student ID card. The number of mainland students attending PolyU who have fallen victim to fraud cases has dropped since the questionnaire was introduced, according to the police.

The City University of Hong Kong began mandating all students to complete an anti-fraud questionnaire at the start of the 2025 academic term, and has established an inter-departmental working group to supervise anti-scam education on the campus.

CityU said that more than 30 of its students were scammed in 2024, involving losses of around HK$15 million.

Contact the writer at: fangxue@chinadailyhk.com