7 Jul 2017
In connection with recent cases related to phone scams, the Immigration Department (ImmD) remains very concerned and has been in close contact with the Hong Kong Police Force. The ImmD has recently received public enquiries regarding incoming phone calls purportedly from ImmD offices, including the hotline "1868" operated by the Assistance to Hong Kong Residents Unit (AHU), for uncollected mail from the ImmD. The call recipient is requested to provide information by following instructions. Furthermore, the ImmD was also informed by members of the public that they had received fraudulent calls purporting to be made by the ImmD staff members. The caller claimed that the personal information of the call recipient had been stolen and requested him/her to provide further information for verification. All the fraudulent calls are pre-recorded messages.
The ImmD again reminds members of the public that they should not simply rely on the incoming call display to establish the true identity of caller as the scammers can deliberately falsify the caller ID by means of caller ID spoofing. Moreover, the ImmD will not transfer calls to other non-local authorities and will not ask the call recipient to provide information such as bank account numbers and passwords.
The AHU hotline "1868" is an emergency line which aims to provide local residents outside Hong Kong with emergency assistance. The unit and the other ImmD offices do not make any pre-recorded voice calls to any members of the public.
The public should remain vigilant and verify the identity of a caller when contacted by phone, and should not disclose personal information to others arbitrarily. If there is any doubt, members of the public should call the ImmD's enquiry hotline on 2824 6111 or email enquiry@immd.gov.hk.
Anyone suspecting a scam should immediately report it to the Police.