Hong Kong is working with 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).

The 18-year-old University of Hong Kong student 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 scammers. The measures include incorporating an anti-fraud questionnaire for mainland students when applying for a travel endorsement to study in Hong Kong, according to local media reports.

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Responding to a China Daily inquiry, police said that they have developed anti-fraud strategies tailored to different groups. For university students, the efforts include organizing lectures, distributing anti-scam information on social media and providing learning kits containing videos, quizzes and related information to universities.

As of January, over 4,000 university students have completed the learning kit since its introduction in September of 2023, said the Force.

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

The email also requested 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.

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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.

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.

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

A former student called Zhang Ye related that she received a call from someone claiming to be an immigration officer who accused her of illegal activities when she was studying in Hong Kong in 2023.

Believing it to be true, Zhang made a video call to the fraudster to provide her side of the case. Zhang was also ordered to lock herself in her bedroom and not to contact any relative or friend.

Fortunately, her roommate realized she was acting unusually and informed the police, saving Zhang from being scammed.

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Zhang emphasized the importance of vigilance and independent thinking, advising students to ask questions promptly and seek help when encountering suspicious situations.

HKU undergraduate student Jasmine Fan said she has received quite a few scam calls since she came to Hong Kong, but none of the scams succeeded due to her strong sense of vigilance, she said.

Fan said she understands that criminals exploit technological progress to conduct cross-border fraud, which poses significant challenges to law enforcement.

The cautionary emails from the university that frequently appear in her inbox have further raised her vigilance, noted Fan.

Xue Jingyuan, a postgraduate student from PolyU, said PolyU’s mandatory anti-fraud questionnaire for new students during registration is effective in raising anti-scam awareness.

Contact the writer at: fangxue@chinadailyhk.com