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The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public in Hong Kong to an e-mail purporting to be related to The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) and Hang Seng Bank Limited (Hang Seng Bank). The e-mail requests customers to use an embedded hyperlink to connect to a fraudulent website (for example, "mercipapa.
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the websites, or has conducted any financial transactions through the websites should contact HSBC at 2233 3000 or Hang Seng Bank at 2822 0203, and any local police station or the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.
"Members of the public 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. In addition, banks are not expected to send e-mails asking their customers to provide their account information (e.g. Internet banking logon passwords) or verify their account information online. If in doubt, they should contact their banks," said an HKMA spokesperson.
Ends/Thursday, April 24, 2014
Issued at HKT 18:50
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