Hong Kong clearing house warns public of scam websites mimicking official FPS portal
Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Ltd (HKICL) warns of two fraudulent websites mimicking its official portals. The sites, tk.f2g4h.cn and fps.852789.cc, pose as a "Buyer Online Security Guarantee" service for Faster Payment System (FPS) transactions, tricking users into revealing bank details. HKICL says
The Hong Kong Interbank Clearing Limited (HKICL) has issued a warning to the public about two fraudulent websites posing as the company's official portals. The scam sites, identified as tk.f2g4h.cn and fps.852789.cc, were recently discovered by HKICL.
The fake websites disguise themselves as a "Buyer Online Security Guarantee" service, claiming to offer protection for Faster Payment System (FPS) online transactions. They purport to provide three services: refunds, reporting of unauthorised online transactions, and online transaction support. The sites are designed to trick users into supplying their bank name, bank account number and the name of the bank account holder. The fraudsters then use this information to facilitate top-ups and withdrawals from virtual wallets on their platform, and further direct victims to engage in conversation with fake customer service personnel.
HKICL has clarified that the fraudulent websites have no connection whatsoever with the clearing house or any of its operations. Under normal circumstances, HKICL does not directly provide Faster Payment System services to individual members of the public, nor does it proactively contact them. The company's genuine official website addresses are www.hkicl.com.hk and fps.hkicl.com.hk.
The clearing house urges the public to be cautious of any suspicious phone calls, websites or other communications, and to protect their personal data carefully. Anyone who receives a suspicious communication purporting to be from an HKICL member should verify its authenticity by calling HKICL directly on 2533 1111. If they suspect they have been defrauded, they should report the matter to the police immediately.
