In Hong Kong, there has been an upsurge in both the number of phone scams and the amount of money involved in such scams between January and April this year, compared with the same period last year. Among the scams, “Guess Who I Am?” and “Pretend Officials” are still the most common modi operandi. The number of online romance scams has shot up more than 50 per cent, and there has also been a nearly 30 per cent increase in the amount of money stolen. Meanwhile, victims falling for phone scams have been defrauded of $140 million in total. Determined to address such worrying trends, the Police Public Relations Branch (PPRB) has come up with a brand new anti-scam mascot called “The Little Grape”, in a bid to disseminate short and sweet anti-scam messages to members of the public, who can in turn share the relevant tips with their families and friends to prevent them from becoming the next victims.

As the anti-scam mascot of Hong Kong Police (HKP), “The Little Grape” will appear in all relevant official promotional messages and materials, in order to alert citizens to the latest modi operandi of scammers. “The Little Grape” will also put himself in the shoes of victims, to help citizens understand why they may fall prey to frauds at times.

In early June, “The Little Grape” made its first appearance on the three major social media platforms of HKP - Facebook, Instagram and Weibo. Features such as the “A Scam a Day” anecdotes, anti-scam comic strips and “The Little Grape” WhatsApp stickers have been very well received by members of the public.

PPRB has prepared promotional materials and emoji packs that can convey a wide range of anti-scam messages. Colleagues from different districts are welcome to use them on different anti-scam promotional materials, to remind citizens that “The End of Deception Starts with You”!

As a fan of “The Little Grape”, remember to stay tuned to the HKP’s social media platforms to capture him any time!

You can download the whole collection of “The Little Grape” WhatsApp stickers from the Multimedia Download Area in the HKP Mobile App, please visit the following link for details: （https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=267191091192549）.