Recently, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited (“the Bank”) have noticed a frequent occurrence of fraud cases on social media platforms, the fraudsters are stealing customers’ personal information to carry out fraudulent activities. To help you better protect your personal information and financial assets, the Bank are providing the fraud prevention tips here.

Common Social Media Threats:

1. Online Shopping Scams
   The fraudsters impersonate buyers on shopping platforms (e.g., Carousell) or social media (e.g., Facebook) and ask for victims’ email addresses, then they pose as the shopping platform to send emails, urging victims to click on links. Victims are subsequently directed to fraudulent websites, where they provided bank account details, credit card information, and passwords. As a result, their accounts are compromised, leading to financial losses.
   Additionally, fraudsters take advantage of the time difference between check clearing to defraud victims with invalid cheque payments. Victims seeing an increase in the ledger balance or receiving false payment proof, complete transaction without verifying the available balance, ultimately leading to losses.
2. “Click Farm” Scams
   The fraudsters use communication applications (e.g., WhatsApp or Telegram) to randomly invite victims into groups, claiming that they could earn profits simply by placing orders, reselling products or following celebrity accounts, without requiring qualifications or experience. The fraudsters entice the victims to download fake applications or create accounts on fraudulent websites to complete these “tasks”. Initially, the fraudsters transfer the “profits” to victims. However, once victims invest large sums of money in these website or applications, the fraudsters disappear without a trace.
3. Online Investment Scams
   The fraudsters pose as financial analysts or investment experts on social platforms (e.g., Facebook, Instagram) or communication applications (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat), luring victims into investing in “low-risk, high-return” projects. At first, fraudsters create the illusion of profitability and transfer the “profits” to the victims, then persuading them to increase their investment. After victims deposit large amounts into multiple local bank accounts, the fraudsters vanish, resulting in significant financial losses for the victims.

Tips to Avoid Being Scammed:

• Do not click or open any hyperlink, attachment or QR code in the suspicious email or SMS message, even if SMS Sender IDs with prefix “#”;
• Do not use public Wi-Fi networks or public computer to logon to your Internet Banking or Mobile Banking Services. Using telecommunication network and personal devices are more secure;
• Do not logon to your ICBC (Asia) Online Banking Services or Mobile Banking through third party platform (e.g., Carousell, Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.). You should always access our Online Banking Services by typing our Bank’s official website address directly into your browser;
• The latest ICBC (Asia) mobile banking app should be downloaded or updated only through the Bank’s website at www.icbcasia.com (Internet Banking > Personal Mobile Banking) or via the Apple App Store/Google Play/Huawei App Store;
• Check the permissions required by the downloaded mobile application and do not allow or authorize permission requests that are incompatible with its functions;
• Disallow installation of Apps from unknown source on your mobile devices and check regularly and uninstall if there are any suspicious applications installed;
• The Bank will never proactively ask you to provide any personal information by email or SMS message, nor will the Bank ask you to click on a hyperlink, QR code, attachment in the email or SMS message to disclose your sensitive information including bank account details, login password or one-time password;
• Do not enter your personal information in websites or software applications from unknown sources;
• The Bank regularly publishes security tips on fraud prevention. Please refer to the “Security tips” on the Bank’s official website. If you find any suspicious calls, emails or SMS messages, you should contact the Bank at (852) 218 95588 immediately;
• 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;
• 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;
• If you have any suspicions, please call the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” hotline of the Police’s Anti-Deception Coordination Centre for enquiries.