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The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert people in Hong Kong to an email purporting to be sent from The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC). The email requests customers to use an embedded hyperlink (for example, http://207.150.192.12/temp/wwwuga/d.html) to connect to a fraudulent website and verify their account information by entering their Internet banking account's user name and password. The fraudulent website looks very similar to HSBC's Personal Internet Banking logon webpage. HSBC has issued a press release today (November 22) to clarify that HSBC has not sent these emails to its customers and has no connection with the fraudulent website. In addition, HSBC does not have a policy of sending emails asking its customers to provide their passwords or verify their account information online.

HSBC has already reported the case to the Hong Kong Police Force for investigation. Anyone who has provided personal information to the website, or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact HSBC at 2748 3322, and any local Police Station or the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

"People are reminded not to access their Internet banking accounts through hyperlinks embedded in e-mails, Internet search engines or suspicious pop-up windows. Instead, they should access their Internet banking accounts by typing the website addresses at the address bar of the browser, or by bookmarking the genuine website and using that for access. If in doubt, they should contact their banks," an HKMA spokesperson said.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Kevin Ip, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687 or

Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

Ends/Monday, November 22, 2004

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