7th December 2024 – (Hong Kong) Recently, a surge of reports from netizens revealed a deceptive scheme involving fake overdue payment notifications purportedly from the Water Supplies Department in Hong Kong. A woman shared her experience on social media, detailing how she fell victim to a scam that claimed she owed HK$28.26 in overdue water fees.
The fraudulent message included a link for payment. Upon clicking the link and entering her credit card information along with a verification code, she received a shocking notification from her bank indicating that HK$15,000 had been withdrawn from her account. It was only then that she realised she had been scammed.
On 3rd December, the Water Supplies Department issued a public statement regarding the recent scams, confirming that they did not send out such messages and advising the public to remain vigilant against suspicious communications. The department emphasised that they never use hyperlinks in their messages to direct customers to external websites.
In her social media post titled “Water Supplies Department Scam: Lost HK$15,000,” the woman recounted how her friend received a message claiming overdue fees. Without verifying its authenticity, they assumed the message was legitimate due to the small amount mentioned.
The website linked in the scam was designed to closely mimic official communications, featuring a URL that appeared to be connected to the Water Supplies Department. After entering her credit card information, the woman received a notification that her account had been drained, prompting her to contact her bank. Unfortunately, the bank informed her that recovering the funds would be difficult due to her entering the verification code.
The post sparked significant discussion online, with many others reporting similar scams. Screenshots shared by users revealed identical fraudulent messages, with sender names like “HKSW” and content stating an overdue payment of HK$28.26. Some users noted the incorrect nomenclature of the department, pointing out that it should be referred to as the Water Supplies Department, not “Water Bureau” or “Hong Kong Water.”
In response to the rising number of scams, the Water Supplies Department reiterated that all legitimate messages from them begin with a “#” symbol, making it easier for the public to identify authentic communications. They urged anyone who has shared personal information with suspicious sites to contact the police and encouraged reporting any questionable messages to their customer service hotline.
