E-mails linking to a fraudulent website

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members
of the public in Hong Kong to some e-mails purporting to be sent
from Hang Seng Bank Limited. These e-mails contain a hyperlink (for
example, http://218.30.21.35/online/hang/ebanklogon.php) connecting
to a fraudulent website. The fraudulent website requests customers
to verify their account information by entering their Internet
banking account's user name and password, and Hong Kong Identity
Card Number. The fraudulent website looks very similar to Hang Seng
Bank Limited's Personal Internet Banking website. Hang Seng Bank
Limited has issued a press release today to clarify that Hang Seng
Bank Limited has not sent these e-mails to its customers and has no
connection with the fraudulent website. In addition, Hang Seng Bank
Limited will never send e-mails asking its customers to provide
their passwords or verify their account information online.

Hang Seng Bank Limited has already reported the case to the Hong
Kong Police Force for investigation. Anyone who has dealings with
this fraudulent website, or has provided his or her personal
information to the website, or has conducted any financial
transactions through the website should contact Hang Seng Bank
Limited at 2822 0228, and any local Police Station or the
Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860
5012.

"Members of the public are reminded not to access their Internet
banking accounts through hyperlinks embedded in e-mails or Internet
search engines. They should access their Internet banking accounts
by keying in the website addresses at the address bar of the
browser, or bookmark the genuine website and use that function to
access their Internet banking accounts. If in doubt, they should
contact their banks," said an HKMA spokesperson.

For further enquiries, please contact:
Kevin Ip, Manager (Press), at 2878 1687 or
Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
8 September 2004