Chief Executive John Lee says Hong Kong will strengthen cooperation with other places to try to secure the release of SAR residents being held prisoner in "scam farms" in Southeast Asia.

At the moment, 10 Hongkongers are believed to be being forced to take part in fraud after being tricked into travelling to Thailand and neighbouring countries.

Lee told reporters ahead of the weekly Executive Council meeting on Tuesday that authorities will carry out thorough investigations and work with counterparts overseas to tackle the issue.

“There are a lot of players in the whole fight against this crime, including law enforcement agencies in the relevant countries. There are good networks already. The respective countries have already heightened their attention and escalated the government participation in our whole fight," he said.

"We will continue to strengthen cooperation in this area, passing intelligence across the players."

Lee also called on the public to be aware of different types of scams, including those that have ensnared scores of university students from the mainland.

"People may have heard about such cases...but still they think they won't be the victims and so they are not as alert," he said.

Police have strengthened cooperation with tertiary institutions to raise awareness of financial scams among students, Lee added.