The Hong Kong Association of Banks Alerts the Public to Beware of Fraudulent Messages Related to the Microsoft Outlook Service Outage
In light of the Microsoft Outlook service outage, the Hong Kong Association of Banks (HKAB) reminds the public to stay vigilant against fraudulent messages sent out by fraudsters related to the incident. HKAB warns that scammers may use pretexts such as system outages or updates to impersonate Microsoft, banks, or other relevant organisations, sending phishing messages that urge recipients to take immediate action in an attempt to obtain their personal or financial information.
HKAB urges the public to carefully verify the identity of senders upon receiving messages purportedly from a bank, refrain from clicking on unknown links or opening suspicious attachments, and never log into their accounts or disclose personal information (including passwords or any sensitive information) via unverified channels. Members of the public are advised to access their accounts or handle related matters through the respective bank’s official channels, such as its official website or mobile banking app. Those who receive any suspicious messages purportedly sent by a bank should call the relevant bank’s customer service hotline for verification.