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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has alerted people in Hong Kong to an email purporting to be sent from the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited (BoCHK). The email requests customers to use an embedded hyperlink to connect to a fraudulent website ("accessboc.pcriot.com") and verify their account information by entering their Internet banking account¡¦s user name and password. The fraudulent website looks similar to the bank¡¦s Internet banking logon webpage. BoCHK has issued a press release today (August 11) to clarify that BoCHK has not sent these emails to its customers and has no connection with the fraudulent website. BoCHK does not have the policy of sending emails asking its customers to provide their passwords or verify their account information online.
BoCHK has reported the case to the Hong Kong Police Force for investigation. Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the website, or has conducted any financial transactions through the website should contact BoCHK at 2332 3328 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 emails, Internet search engines or suspicious pop-up windows. 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:
Thomas Chan, Communications Chief, at 2878 1480 or
Natalie Wu, Officer (Communications), at 2878 8246
Ends/Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 18:37
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