Svmuu News: The Hong Kong Police reported that in 2025, they received a total of 12,505 reports of online shopping scams, an 8.2% increase from 2024. The online shopping scam involving the largest single loss for the year was related to cryptocurrency transactions. The victim joined a Telegram cryptocurrency trading group and received a private message from a group member impersonating a Bittwatt (BWT) customer service representative, who requested a “verification code” as proof of group membership. The scammer then transferred all virtual assets from the victim’s cryptocurrency wallet linked to Telegram, resulting in a total loss of over HK$3.7 million. Police remind the public to contact customer service through official channels when shopping online. Regardless of the payment method, always verify the authenticity of the transaction before making a payment, carefully check payment details, and never click on unknown or suspicious links. (Hong Kong Commercial Daily)