Hong Kong police reported a total of 12,505 online shopping scam cases in 2025, marking an 8.2% increase from 2024. The largest single loss involved a cryptocurrency transaction, where a victim lost over HKD 3.7 million. The victim was deceived into joining a Telegram crypto trading group, where a scammer impersonated a Bittwatt (BWT) customer service representative. The scammer requested a 'verification code' for group entry, subsequently transferring all virtual assets from the victim's connected crypto wallet.