Privacy Commissioner Warns of Construction Worker Recruitment Fraud

PCPD Media Statements (HK)

Published January 29th, 2026

Detected March 13th, 2026

Summary

The Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner's Office issued a warning regarding fraudulent recruitment advertisements targeting construction workers. The office received 42 complaints in two weeks involving scams that requested sensitive personal data, including construction site "Three Essentials." The PCPD urges vigilance and provides guidance on safeguarding personal data during job applications.

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What changed

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) in Hong Kong has issued a public warning concerning fraudulent recruitment advertisements that are targeting construction workers. Over the past two weeks, the PCPD received 42 complaints from construction workers who were tricked into providing sensitive personal data, such as identity cards, construction worker registration cards, and safety training certificates, after responding to job vacancies advertised on social media and instant messaging platforms. The fraudsters failed to appear for the purported jobs, raising concerns about the malicious use of the collected personal data.

The PCPD is advising construction workers and the public to exercise vigilance when applying for jobs online. Key recommendations include authenticating the identity of recruiters or intermediaries, avoiding arbitrary disclosure of personal data, retaining communication records, and staying informed about fraud prevention information. The notice emphasizes providing only necessary information and avoiding the submission of sensitive data like bank account numbers before a job offer is confirmed. Individuals suspecting data leakage can contact the PCPD's hotline.

What to do next

Verify the authenticity of recruitment companies and intermediaries before providing personal data.
Provide only necessary personal information and avoid submitting sensitive data like bank account numbers until a job offer is confirmed.
Retain all communication records related to job applications for future reference.

Source document (simplified)

Media Statements

As Chinese New Year Approaches Privacy Commissioner’s Office Urges Vigilance Against Fraudulent Advertisements Recruiting Construction Workers

Date: 29 January 2026

As Chinese New Year Approaches

P rivacy C ommissioner’s Office Urges Vigilance Against
Fraudulent Advertisements Recruiting Construction Workers

As the Chinese lunar year draws to a close and the Year of the Horse approaches, fraudsters are becoming increasingly active amid the festive atmosphere, and they used various fraudulent tricks to swindle citizens out of personal data and/or money. Common scams include online romance fraud, online shopping scams, and recruitment scams. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) received 42 complaints over the past two weeks which involv ed suspected personal data frauds using fraudulent recruitment advertisements for job vacancies in the construction industry . The PCPD urges construction workers to exercise vigilan ce in protecting their personal data privacy when applying for jobs, and verify the authenticity of recruitment advertisements and the identities of recruiters before they provide their personal data .

All the victims involved in the 42 cases were construction workers who came across messages about the recruitment of construction casual workers posted on various social media platforms and instant messaging groups (including WhatsApp, Facebook and WeChat groups). After expressing interest in the job vacancies, they provided their personal data to the publisher of the recruitment messages (the “Publisher”), including photos of their “Three Essentials for Construction Sites” (「地盤三寶」in Chinese), namely Hong Kong Identity Card, Construction Workers Registration Card and “Safety Card” (Construction Industry Safety Training Certificate). In some cases, victims also provided their bank account numbers. The Publisher subsequently requested the workers to gather at designated MTR station exits at specified times respectively. However, the Publisher failed to show up and could no longer be contacted. The construction workers were therefore concerned about their personal data being maliciously used by criminals or for other illegal purposes, so they lodged complaints with the PCPD.

Upon receipt of the complaints, the PCPD has been following up the cases in accordance with established procedures. The PCPD reminds the public to observe the following when applying for jobs through social media platforms and instant messaging groups to safeguard their personal data privacy:
1. Authenticate the identity of the recruiter or intermediary: Where possible, verify the authenticity of the recruiting company or intermediary through official or reliable channels. Avoid providing personal data to unknown parties;
2. Avoid disclosing personal data arbitrarily: Understand the purpose of data collection, only provide necessary information, and avoid submitting sensitive information such as bank account numbers prior to confirmation of employment offer;
3. Retain communication records: Retain records of all communications related to the recruitment process for future reference should any issues arise; and
4. Fraud prevention information: Pay attention to fraud prevention information published by the PCPD, the Police or relevant organisations to enhance the awareness of fraud prevention.
Anyone who suspects that his/her personal data has been leaked may make enquiries or lodge complaints with the PCPD (“Personal Data Fraud Prevention Hotline”: 3423 6611 or email: communications@pcpd.org.hk ). If there is any suspicion of fraud on personal data which involves criminal offence(s), they should immediately report the case to the Police. Citizens may also visit “Scameter” ( https://cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/ ) to check suspicious phone numbers, email addresses and websites, etc.