HKMA Warns Public of Phishing Scams Impersonating Bank of China (Hong Kong)

The
Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
(HKMA)
has
issued
a
public
alert
regarding
phishing
scams
involving
instant
messages
that
falsely
claim
to
be
from
Bank
of
China
(Hong
Kong)
Limited.
According
to
the
HKMA,
these
fraudulent
messages
have
been
reported
to
the
authority
and
pose
a
significant
risk
to
the
public.

Details
of
the
Phishing
Scam

The
HKMA’s
warning
highlights
that
the
deceptive
messages
aim
to
trick
recipients
into
providing
sensitive
personal
information,
such
as
login
credentials
or
One-Time
Passwords.
The
authority
stresses
that
banks,
including
Bank
of
China
(Hong
Kong),
do
not
send
SMS
or
emails
with
embedded
hyperlinks
directing
customers
to
their
websites
for
transactions.
Furthermore,
banks
will
never
request
sensitive
information
through
phone,
email,
or
SMS.

Public
Advisory

The
HKMA
advises
anyone
who
has
received
such
phishing
messages
and
inadvertently
provided
personal
information
to
contact
the
bank
immediately
using
the
contact
details
provided
in
the
official
press
release.
Additionally,
victims
should
report
the
incident
to
the
Crime
Wing
Information
Centre
of
the
Hong
Kong
Police
Force
at
2860
5012.

Preventive
Measures

To
protect
against
such
scams,
the
HKMA
urges
the
public
to
remain
vigilant
and
cautious.
Individuals
should
verify
the
authenticity
of
any
message
claiming
to
be
from
a
bank
by
contacting
the
bank
directly
through
official
channels.
It
is
also
recommended
to
avoid
clicking
on
hyperlinks
in
unsolicited
messages
and
to
regularly
monitor
bank
accounts
for
any
unauthorized
transactions.

For
more
detailed
information,
the
official
press
release
can
be
accessed
on
the

HKMA
website.

Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
15
August
2024

Image
source:
Shutterstock