Hong Kong police have reported a significant increase in cybercrime, specifically targeting WhatsApp users. Over the past two weeks, authorities recorded 150 instances of account hijacking, leading to total financial losses of HK$26 million. The scams involve criminals gaining unauthorized access to messaging accounts and using artificial intelligence to mimic the voices of friends or family members to solicit money from contacts.

One notable case involved a victim who was defrauded of HK$10 million after being deceived by a voice message that appeared to be from his father. In response to these incidents, the police force’s Cyberdefender platform issued a public warning on Wednesday. Officials are urging residents to exercise extreme caution and not to "blindly" trust voice messages, even if the caller sounds like someone they know. The police emphasize that AI technology has made it increasingly easy for fraudsters to create convincing audio deepfakes, which are then used to manipulate victims into transferring funds.

While the police are actively investigating these cases and working to raise public awareness, the rapid evolution of AI tools presents a persistent challenge for law enforcement. The authorities have not yet announced any specific arrests related to this recent string of 150 cases, but they continue to monitor the situation closely as the use of AI in financial fraud becomes more sophisticated and widespread across the region.