Fraudulent email purporting to be related to Public Bank (Hong Kong) Limited

The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members
of the public in Hong Kong to an e-mail purporting to be sent from
Public Bank (Hong Kong) Limited (PBHK). The e-mail requests
customers to use an embedded hyperlink to connect to a fraudulent
website ("http://www.pbhksecure.com/publicbank.htm") and verify
their account information by entering their Internet banking
account's user name and password. The fraudulent website looks
similar to the bank's Internet banking logon webpage. PBHK has
issued a press release today (Tuesday) to clarify that PBHK has not
sent these e-mails to its customers and has no connection with the
fraudulent website. In addition, PBHK does not have the policy of
sending e-mails asking its customers to provide their passwords or
verify their account information online.

PBHK has already reported the case to the Hong Kong Police Force
for investigation. Anyone who has provided personal information to
the website, or has conducted any financial transactions through
the website should contact PBHK at 2541 9206 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, Internet
search engines or suspicious pop-up windows. Instead, they should
access their Internet banking accounts by typing the website
addresses at the address bar of the browser, or by bookmarking the
genuine website and using that for access. If in doubt, they should
contact their banks," said an HKMA spokesperson.

For further enquiries, please contact:
Alice Lo, Communications Chief, at 2878 1480 or
Yokee Wong, Manager (Communications), at 2878 1213

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
25 May 2010