HKMA warns public of fraudulent social media accounts

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued a strong warning today, January 20, urging the public to exercise extreme vigilance against a proliferation of fraudulent social media accounts.

These deceptive online presences are actively impersonating both the HKMA institution itself and its Chief Executive, Mr Eddie Yue, creating a significant risk of misinformation and potential scams.

The HKMA explicitly clarified that all its legitimate news, official announcements, and critical work priorities are exclusively disseminated through its verified and official communication channels.

These include its dedicated official website and its recognized social media accounts, which are the sole reliable sources for information.

Any other social media accounts, pages, or online platforms that claim to represent the HKMA or its Chief Executive are unequivocally fake and should be treated with immediate suspicion.

In light of the ongoing fraudulent activities, the HKMA strongly advised the public to completely disregard any information or directives originating from suspicious websites, unverified social media accounts, or any online pages that lack official endorsement.

This directive underscores the critical importance of verifying the authenticity of digital information sources, especially when they pertain to financial authorities.

To address the serious nature of these impersonations and to protect the public, the incident has been formally reported to the Hong Kong Police Force.

The Police are now undertaking follow-up investigations to identify and address the perpetrators behind these fraudulent online activities, aiming to mitigate further risks to the public.