Hong Kong police and mainland authorities have smashed a cross-border phishing syndicate that swindled victims out of HK$16.8 million (US$2.14 million) by impersonating the Water Supplies Department, resulting in 15 arrests between March and June.

The joint enforcement action, code-named Operation Boldhawk, targeted a criminal chain that sent malicious text messages to residents in the city, Superintendent Hui Yee-wai of the police cyber security and technology crime bureau said on Friday.

“This precisely reflects that scammers are targeting residents’ trust in government departments and exploiting their strong demand for indispensable daily services, making it easier for them to fall into traps,” Hui said.

During the first five months of this year, police recorded 1,009 phishing scams, up 83.5 per cent year on year, of which 841 cases involved fake Water Supplies Department (WSD) payments, Hui added.

The most significant loss involved a 71-year-old victim who entered details of two credit cards into a fraudulent website after receiving a scam message in March, resulting in unauthorised electronic purchases of more than HK$310,000 in overseas online shopping platforms, Hui said.

Victims of the fake WSD scams ranged in age from 17 to 86, with an equal ratio of men to women, Senior Inspector Yam Ho-yin of the cyber security and technology crime bureau said.

“This shows that anyone can come into contact with these kinds of phishing scams. So, everyone should be more attentive and take precautions against these phishing scams,” Yam added.