Scam Alert - Fraudulent Banking Websites
Summary
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority issued a scam alert warning the public about fraudulent websites and phishing scams targeting customers of four Hong Kong banks: The Bank of East Asia, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Chong Hing Bank, and OCBC Bank (Hong Kong). The HKMA reminded the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks requesting sensitive information such as login passwords or One-Time Passwords.
What changed
The HKMA published a scam alert on 31 March 2026 identifying fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens associated with four named banks. The alert is informational in nature, listing the affected banks and the type of scams reported to the HKMA. No new regulatory requirements or compliance obligations are imposed.
Affected banks should ensure their customer communications address this alert and that incident response procedures are in place. Consumers who have provided personal information or conducted transactions through these fraudulent sites should contact their respective bank and report the matter to the Hong Kong Police Force Crime Wing Information Centre at 2860 5012.
Source document (simplified)
Scam alert related to banks
Press Releases
31 Mar 2026
Scam alert related to banks
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to the press releases issued by the banks listed below relating to fraudulent websites, internet banking login screens, phishing emails or other scams, which have been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlinks to the press releases are available on the HKMA website.
| Bank | Type of Scam |
| --- | --- |
| The Bank of East Asia, Limited | Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens |
| Shanghai Commercial Bank Limited | Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens |
| Chong Hing Bank Limited | Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens |
| OCBC Bank (Hong Kong) Limited | Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens |
The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive information, such as login passwords or One-Time Password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the scams concerned, should contact the relevant bank with the information provided in the corresponding press release, and report the matter to the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.
Hong Kong Monetary Authority
31 March 2026
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