Hong Kong Watchdog Warns Of Another Fake Banking Website

Tom Burroughes

30 June 2014

Days after warning about such threats, the has issued a further warning about fraudulent websites purporting to be official sites for banks, highlighting how cyber-crime is a major issue for financial services.

The HKMA said it “wishes to alert members of the public to a fraudulent website with the domain name "http://chinacitic.jimdo.com". The website purports to be the official website of China CITIC Bank International Limited (CNCBI). CNCBI has clarified that it has no connection with the fraudulent website,” the regulator said in a statement late last week.

The watchdog urged any person who has provided personal information to the website or has conducted any financial transactions through the website to contact CNCBI at 2287 6767 and any local Police Station or the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

Last week, the HKMA said that an email was requesting customers to use an embedded hyperlink to connect to a fraudulent website and provide their personal information such as the Hong Kong identity card number and credit card information that can then be used to access their accounts. The banks in question included Bank of China, Hang Seng Bank, HSBC and Standard Chartered Bank.

All those banks clarified that they have not sent these emails to their customers and have no connection with the fraudulent websites, the regulator said.