Scam cases in Hong Kong fell by 2.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, marking the first drop since 2019. Overall crimes decreased by 5.9%, police said. The city recorded 89,137 crimes in 2025, down from 94,747 the previous year. Nearly half of these crimes, 48.5%, were deception or scam cases, totaling 43,212. Police Commissioner Joe Chow Yat-ming revealed fewer traditional street crimes were reported. However, homicide cases jumped sharply from 19 to 194, mainly due to the 168 deaths in the Wang Fuk Court fire in Tai Po. "The main rise [excluding Wang Fuk Court victims] came from domestic violence, mainly due to financial problems or murder-suicides with patients with chronic illnesses," Chow said. Authorities arrested 16 people on suspicion of manslaughter linked to the fire. The report highlights a mixed picture: scams and many crimes fell, but violent deaths spiked drastically.