Hong Kong Monetary Authority Warns Public About Fraudulent Website and Fake Emails

The
Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
(HKMA)
has
issued
a
warning
to
the
public
regarding
a
fraudulent
website
and
fake
emails
impersonating
the
authority.
According
to
the
HKMA,
these
scams
involve
a
fraudulent
website,
a
digital
currency
platform
falsely
claiming
HKMA
regulation,
and
bogus
documents
and
emails.

Details
of
the
Fraudulent
Activities

The
HKMA
highlighted
several
specific
fraudulent
activities:

• A
  fraudulent
  website
  using
  the
  domain
  name
  353049[.]cc.
• A
  digital
  currency
  platform
  named
  “Kucoin”
  claiming
  to
  be
  regulated
  by
  the
  HKMA.
  This
  platform
  issued
  fake
  documents
  supposedly
  from
  the
  HKMA,
  demanding
  payment
  of
  fees
  to
  release
  funds
  from
  frozen
  accounts.
• An
  email
  purportedly
  from
  the
  HKMA,
  claiming
  that
  users
  of
  a
  website
  supervised
  by
  a
  “government
  department”
  can
  withdraw
  funds
  by
  replying
  to
  the
  email.

HKMA’s
Clarification
and
Advice

The
HKMA
has
clarified
that
it
has
no
affiliation
with
the
fraudulent
website
or
platform
and
emphasized
that
the
authority
does
not
contact
individuals
regarding
personal
financial
matters.
The
official
HKMA
website
is

https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/.

The
HKMA
advises
the
public
to
refer
to
the
official
lists
of
Authorized
Institutions,
Stored
Value
Facility
licensees,
and
approved
money
brokers
available
on
its
website
to
verify
the
legitimacy
of
financial
entities.

Reporting
and
Preventive
Measures

The
HKMA
has
reported
these
fraudulent
activities
to
the
Hong
Kong
Police
Force.
Individuals
who
suspect
they
have
been
victims
of
fraud
are
advised
to
contact
the
Commercial
and
Technology
Crime
Hotline
of
the
Hong
Kong
Police
Force
at
2860
5012
or
file
a
report
through
the

e-Report
Centre.

Authorities
stress
the
importance
of
vigilance
and
caution
when
dealing
with
unsolicited
financial
communications.
Individuals
are
urged
to
verify
the
authenticity
of
websites
and
emails
claiming
to
be
from
reputable
financial
institutions
before
taking
any
action.

Similar
Incidents
and
Broader
Context

This
warning
from
the
HKMA
is
part
of
a
broader
effort
to
combat
financial
fraud,
which
has
been
on
the
rise
globally.
Financial
institutions
and
regulatory
bodies
worldwide
have
been
increasingly
alerting
the
public
to
various
forms
of
digital
fraud
and
emphasizing
the
importance
of
cybersecurity
measures.

In
recent
months,
there
have
been
several
high-profile
cases
of
fraudulent
activities
targeting
both
individuals
and
businesses.
These
incidents
underscore
the
necessity
for
continued
vigilance
and
the
implementation
of
robust
security
protocols
to
protect
sensitive
financial
information.

Image
source:
Shutterstock

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