The Hong Kong Police Force will utilize artificial intelligence starting next year to remove fraudulent social media content that scammers use to prey on the city’s elderly population, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration Warner Cheuk Wing-hing said Wednesday.

In a speech at the opening session of the Ageing Well Hong Kong 2026 Conference, Cheuk said the HKPF is planning to implement a Cyber Hygiene Operation together with technology and telecommunications companies to use AI to proactively filter and remove fraudulent content from social media platforms popular among seniors.

He said police will also launch a Project Gatekeeper program next year to specifically enhance the ability of carers and frontline bank staff to identify and tackle scams involving the elderly.

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“Financial security for retirement is not just about having enough savings for retirement, but also about keeping the savings secure,” Cheung said.  “In today's increasingly digital world, seniors often fall prey to sophisticated scams and fraud.”

Police said in July that senior residents were one of the hardest-hit groups in fraud cases, with the number of victims rising by 15 percent and their financial losses surging by 40 percent from last year.

According to Legislative Council records, people aged 60 and above have lost over HK$2.3 billion ($290 million) in the last three years.

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Cheuk said intelligence sharing and partnership are pivotal to helping safeguard elderly people’s financial assets.

He said a key milestone is the Financial Intelligence Evaluation Sharing Tool, an intelligence sharing platform under the public-private partnership of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the HKPF and the banking sector. As of mid-2026, all of the city’s 28 retail banks are participating.

The "Money Safe" initiative is another powerful tool, allowing customers to designate a portion of their deposits as protected, requiring an extra verification step to withdraw, Cheuk said.

As of the end of March 2026, over 14,000 customers have used "Money Safe" to safeguard a total of HK$4 billion in deposits, he added.

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Cheuk said these financial security measures are part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government’s much larger, holistic vision to promote a silver economy amid the city’s ageing population.

It is projected that the number of residents aged 65 and above will rise to 2.74 million by 2046, accounting for more than one-third of the SAR’s total population, he said.

“It is estimated that consumer spending by the elderly aged 60 and above in Hong Kong will increase by 45 percent from HK$342 billion in 2024 to HK$496 billion in 2034, reflecting the continuously growing purchasing power of the elderly,” Cheuk added.