HKMA Warns Public About Phishing Messages Linked to ICBC (Asia)

The
Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
(HKMA)
has
issued
a
public
alert
regarding
phishing
instant
messages
related
to
Industrial
and
Commercial
Bank
of
China
(Asia)
Limited
(ICBC
Asia).
According
to
the
HKMA,
these
fraudulent
messages
have
been
reported
to
the
authority,
prompting
a
swift
response
to
safeguard
consumers.

Details
of
the
Phishing
Scam

The
HKMA
has
underscored
the
importance
of
staying
vigilant
against
phishing
attempts,
which
often
aim
to
steal
sensitive
personal
information.
The
fraudulent
messages
reportedly
direct
recipients
to
fake
websites
that
mimic
legitimate
bank
portals,
where
they
are
asked
to
provide
personal
and
financial
details
such
as
login
passwords
and
One-Time
Passwords
(OTPs).

To
help
the
public
recognize
and
avoid
these
scams,
the
HKMA
has
highlighted
that
banks
will
never
send
SMS
or
emails
with
embedded
hyperlinks
directing
customers
to
perform
transactions
on
their
websites.
Additionally,
banks
will
not
request
personal
information
through
phone
calls,
emails,
or
SMS
messages
containing
embedded
links.

Immediate
Steps
for
Affected
Individuals

The
HKMA
advises
anyone
who
has
received
these
phishing
messages
and
provided
personal
information
or
conducted
financial
transactions
in
response
to
immediately
contact
ICBC
Asia
using
the
official
contact
information
provided
in
the
bank’s
press
release.
Furthermore,
individuals
are
urged
to
report
the
incident
to
the
Police
by
contacting
the
Crime
Wing
Information
Centre
of
the
Hong
Kong
Police
Force
at
2860
5012.

Public
Advisory

In
its
advisory,
the
HKMA
encourages
the
public
to
exercise
caution
and
verify
the
authenticity
of
any
communication
purporting
to
be
from
their
bank.
Consumers
are
advised
to
directly
visit
the
official
bank
website
by
typing
the
URL
into
their
browser
rather
than
clicking
on
embedded
links
in
messages
or
emails.

The
full
press
release
from
ICBC
Asia,
including
detailed
guidance
on
how
to
handle
such
phishing
attempts,
can
be
accessed
on
the
HKMA’s
official
website.
The
HKMA
remains
committed
to
protecting
consumers
from
cyber
threats
and
promoting
safe
banking
practices.

Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
28
May
2024

Image
source:
Shutterstock

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