Online Security Tips – Beware of Scams

Recently there is an upsurge in the number of internet commercial frauds. Fraudsters employ different defrauding tricks, such as phishing, malicious software (malware) and social engineering.

Phishing Attack

Phishing attacks refer to fraudsters trying to impersonate bank employees or bank to send you fraudulent messages via email, SMS, communication software, phone call to obtain your personal information, such as login names, passwords, and one-time passwords. This personal data can be used for payment fraud, identity theft, or other online fraud. Phishing emails, SMS may contain malicious links or attachments. When Victims open them, personal data maybe stolen or system maybe infected.

Common Features

Generally, fraudsters use group name instead of specified name of the recipient in phishing emails and induce victims to open the links or attachments and enter their account number and password. For example, a bank account error notification email requires the victim to click on the link and enter the account number, password, one-time password to restore account. The fraudster can log in to the victim's bank account to commit crimes.

Beware of Phishing

1. To verify the identity of the email and SMS sender and caller.

2. To check the email address domain carefully. The branch domain name is hk.abchina.com

3. Please do not provide your private information to anyone.

4. The branch will not ask for any sensitive personal information, such as login name, password and one-time password.

5. Please ensure that the contact information that you provide to the Bank, such as phone number and email address, is up to date.

6. If you have any doubt about the source of the email, please do not click on the hyperlinks or open the attachments in the email.

7. If you have any questions, Please contact customer service hotline (Mainland China) 86-95599, (HK) 852-28195599 or email us at CCHK@abchina.com, but please do not include any personal or confidential information or give us any transaction instructions in your email.

Malicious Software

Malicious Software (also known as Malware) refers to the installation of intrusive programs on computers or mobile phones without the victim's knowledge or authorization, thereby stealing the victim's bank information, or encrypting the victim's computer files for blackmail and other fraudulent activities.

Beware of Malware

1. Never open attachments or links from suspicious or unknown sources. If you need to use our bank’s resources, please visit our website www.hk.abchina.com

2. Do not change your online banking/mobile banking password through any link in email or SMS. Please visit our branch online banking website or mobile banking to make changes.

3. Do not use unknown or untrusted Wifi when connecting to online banking or mobile banking. ​

4. Regularly update your device’s anti-virus software and applications.

Social Engineering Attack

A social engineering attack occurs when a fraudster gains the victim's trust and gets the victim to voluntarily disclose confidential information, thereby impersonating the victim's identity or taking control of a bank account.

Beware of social engineering

1. Please do not provide your personal information to anyone. For example, bank passwords and one-time passwords.

2. Online banking and mobile banking use two-factor authentication to protect your account from being stolen.

3. To avoid sharing too much personal information on social media in order to avoid being exploited by scammers.

4. If you have any questions, please contact the customer service hotline (Mainland) 86-95599, (Hong Kong) 852-28195599, or send an email to CCHK@abchina.com, but please do not provide any personal and confidential information in the email, or send Any trading instructions.

Verify the identity of the message sender and Stay vigilant

Due to the increasing number of fraud cases, which fraudsters impersonating banks to send text messages, in order to allow our customers to identify the sender of text messages as us, Hong Kong Branch has joined the [SMS Sender Registration Scheme] which established by the Office of the Communications Authority. All certified senders send text messages to customers with the sender name starting with [#]. Our SMS sender name will be changed to [#ABCHK].

Customers should always stay vigilant. When customers receive suspicious text messages, phone calls, or URLs from unknown sources and have any questions about the payee’s identity before making a transaction can make good use of [Scameter] https://cyber[defender].hk/scameter/ (delete the [ ] to visit scameter website) which provided by the Hong Kong Police Force. By entering the URL, email address, phone number, platform account name or number, payment account, etc. into the [Scameter] to check relevant information in order to help you assess the risk of fraud. You can also regularly check the anti-scam information in [Scameter] and the [Anti-Deception Coordination Centre] https://www.[adcc].gov.hk/zh-hk/home.html (delete the [ ] to visit ADCC website) to learn about the latest fraud techniques and trends.

If you have doubts about the source of an email, please do not click on hyperlinks or open attachments. Please contact customer service hotline (Mainland China) 86-95599, (HK) 852-28195599 or email us at CCHK@abchina.com to report suspicious account activities but please do not include any personal or confidential information or give us any transaction instructions in your email.