HKMA requires banks to step up vigilance against counterfeit HK$1,000 notes

Press Releases

24 Dec 2013

HKMA requires banks to step up vigilance against counterfeit HK$1,000 notes

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has been informed by the Hong Kong Police of the spotting by local banks of a new counterfeit ‘2003 series’ Bank of China Hong Kong (BOCHK) HK$1,000 banknote, which bears a fair resemblance to the genuine note.  This BOCHK note features the Bank of China Tower and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre respectively on its front and back sides.

The HKMA attaches great importance to this issue and is working closely with both the note-issuing banks and the Police.  We have required all banks in Hong Kong with cash-handling business to provide their staff with appropriate information and training according to the features of the counterfeit note as indicated by the Police, so that they can accurately and quickly identify this new counterfeit note. We have also required banks to set up enquiry hotlines to provide assistance to their customers. The HKMA will work with the Police to brief local bank staff on the key differentiating features of the counterfeit and genuine notes. The HKMA has also required banks to ensure all HK$1,000 notes dispensed over the counter by tellers or via auto teller machines (ATMs) are duly verified and genuine.

Cash deposit machines at banks will be examined and recalibrated to enhance their capability for detecting the counterfeit note.  During the process of examination and recalibration, some of these machines may be temporarily suspended or unable to provide full services, such as declining the deposit of ‘2003 series’ BOCHK HK$1,000 notes. Bank customers who need to deposit these banknotes may use the counter services at branches or contact the banks’ hotlines for enquiries.

While it is not possible to eliminate note counterfeiting crimes, the HKMA is committed to minimising the counterfeit risk by periodically enhancing the security of Hong Kong banknotes with the latest anti-counterfeiting features.  In 2010 the HKMA began to replace the old series of banknotes with a new series which has advanced and easy-to-recognise security features to make it more difficult for counterfeiters to create new counterfeit notes.  The HKMA will ask banks to speed up the process of withdrawing the 2003 series HK$1,000 banknotes from circulation.

 

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
24 December 2013

Latest Press Releases
Last revision date : 24 December 2013