Dear Customer,

According to the data from the Hong Kong government’s Press Releases on law and order situation in first half of 2024, 19,897 fraud cases were recorded between January and June this year, an increase of 1,154 cases over the same period last year, accounting for about 44% of the total number of crimes and an increase of 6.2% over the same period last year, with losses amounting to about HK$4.48 billion. Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited (“ICBC (Asia)” or “the Bank”) reminds customers should always be vigilant and carefully safeguard their personal information, including bank account information, online banking username, login password, one-time password and security code. Please follow the “Security Tips” below to avoid falling into fraudulent traps.

Please be aware of the following common scam cases.

1. Counterfeit Customer Service Fraud
   Fraudsters will pretend to be customer service agents of Tencent, WeChat, etc., and use various excuses to lure the public to pay “guarantee deposits”, induce the victims to download applications with Trojan programs, and take advantage of the opportunity to obtain the victims’ payment information such as their bank card numbers and SMS verification codes, which may be used to steal funds from their bank accounts; or induce the victims to transfer the money to a designated account, thus causing the victims to lose their money.
2. Fraudulent Cases of Impersonating Law Enforcement Officers
   The fraudsters will use VoIP number changing technology to change the caller’s display number. They will call people pretending to be the Chinese Mainland law enforcement agencies and use the excuse that the victims were wanted by claiming that the people had violated Mainland laws because their immigration documents had been stolen and used to open phone cards, and victims were required to submit their bank accounts and fund transfers to prove their innocence.

Anti-fraud Tips.

1. Do not disclose personal information
   Do not download or open emails and attachments from unknown sources, or reply and forward suspicious emails. Do not provide any personal information, bank account information, online banking accounts or passwords to anyone when you receive unknown calls (including calls from smartphone applications such as WhatsApp/WeChat/Video, etc.).
2. Identity and Authenticity Verification
   Even if a stranger can mention you your personal information or send you a legal document with your photo, it does not mean that he is a real law enforcement officer, because fraudsters may obtain the personal information of the public through illegal means. However, a real law enforcement officers do not ask for the password of your bank account or instruct you to transfer money to a designated bank account when investigating a case; If you receive a call from someone claiming to be an employee of any organization, you should take the initiative to verify the identity of that person through the official channels of the relevant organization.
3. Regularly follow the safety tips of each channel
   1. The Bank regularly publishes security tips on fraud prevention. Please refer to the “Security tips” on the Bank’s official website.
   2. Make good use of the Hong Kong Police Force’s “Scameter”. If you come across suspicious calls, online sellers, dating invitations, job advertisements or investment websites, you can enter related account name or number, payment account, telephone number, email address, website address, etc. on the “Scameter” to assess the risk of fraud and cyber-security.
   3. Please visit the website of the Hong Kong Police Force’s Anti-Fraud Coordination Center under the Commercial Crime Bureau to learn more about fraud trends and the latest fraud alerts, and to raise awareness of the need to take precautions.
   4. If you have any suspicions, please call the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” hotline of the Police’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre for enquiries.

“Beware of scams! Do not provide bank, credit card, investment, insurance and MPF account or other key personal information via hyperlinks embedded in suspicious messages purported to be coming from our institution!” If you become aware of any suspicious transaction or receive a suspicious transaction notice, please feel free to contact our customer service hotline (852) 2189 5588 or visit our branch nearby for reporting.