Criminal-induced heartbreak is on the rise.
More specifically, Hong Kong dating scams skyrocketed in the first half of 2018 compared to the same period in 2017, a senior official said yesterday, warning the public to stay vigilant when it came to matters of old-fashioned romance in this new digital age.
Talking to reporters after a meeting of the straightforwardly named Fight Crime Committee, Secretary for Security John Lee said that among the 3,671 deception cases recorded in the first half of that year, social media and romance scams had risen 150 percent and 250 percent, respectively.
This hardly the first time police have warned Hongkongers about the dangers of sweet-talkin’ con-artists.
Back in 2016, they roped Hong Kong snooker star Ng On-yee into playing a role in a cautionary short film based on a true story in which online sweet-talker “Leon” uses a tale of a sick mum to fleece “Cindy” for cash.
Sadly, today’s numbers suggest the message didn’t quite get through.
While we’re on the topic of fake love, Lee also told reporters that the amount of ecstasy seized by police had surged 4,047 percent (sheeeit) while seizures of heroin and cocaine had practically doubled.
The increased figures — which compare the first half of this year with the same period in 2017 — were a reflection of effective cooperation between Hong Kong police and their mainland counterparts, he said.
So it’s hard to say whether debauchery in Hong Kong has actually increased.
Despite the massive surges in select catoegories, however, overall crime appears to have dropped, Lee added.
Some 26,550 cases were recorded between January and June — a 6.2 percent drop compared to the corresponding period last year.
Down this season: rape, arson, missing motor vehicles, and blackmail. Up recently: homicide, pickpocketing, and wounding and serious assault cases.
Swings and roundabouts.
