Hong Kong Monetary Authority Warns Public of Phishing Messages Linked to Fubon Bank

The
Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
(HKMA)
has
issued
an
alert
to
the
public
regarding
phishing
instant
messages
associated
with
Fubon
Bank
(Hong
Kong)
Limited.
The
announcement
comes
in
response
to
reports
received
by
the
HKMA
concerning
these
fraudulent
messages.

The
Nature
of
the
Threat

According
to
the
HKMA,
these
phishing
messages
are
designed
to
deceive
recipients
into
providing
sensitive
personal
information.
The
messages
often
contain
embedded
hyperlinks
that
direct
users
to
fake
websites
mimicking
those
of
legitimate
banks,
urging
them
to
carry
out
transactions
or
disclose
personal
details
such
as
login
passwords
or
One-Time
Passwords
(OTPs).

Official
Bank
Communication
Protocols

The
HKMA
emphasized
that
legitimate
banks
will
never
request
sensitive
personal
information
via
SMS,
email,
or
instant
messages.
Banks
will
also
refrain
from
sending
messages
with
embedded
hyperlinks
directing
customers
to
their
websites
for
transactions.
This
reminder
is
crucial
to
ensure
that
the
public
remains
vigilant
against
such
phishing
attempts.

Actions
to
Take

The
HKMA
advises
anyone
who
may
have
disclosed
personal
information
or
conducted
financial
transactions
in
response
to
these
phishing
messages
to
contact
Fubon
Bank
immediately
using
the
contact
details
provided
in
the
bank’s
official
press
release.
Moreover,
affected
individuals
should
report
the
incident
to
the
Crime
Wing
Information
Centre
of
the
Hong
Kong
Police
Force
by
calling
2860
5012.

Preventive
Measures

In
light
of
this
situation,
the
HKMA
encourages
the
public
to
be
cautious
of
unsolicited
messages
and
to
verify
the
authenticity
of
communications
received
from
banks.
Regularly
updating
passwords
and
monitoring
bank
statements
for
unauthorized
transactions
are
also
recommended
practices
to
enhance
personal
cybersecurity.

For
the
official
press
release
and
further
details,
visit
the

HKMA
website.

Hong
Kong
Monetary
Authority
24
July
2024

Image
source:
Shutterstock