Hong Kong privacy watchdog warns of fake retailer compensation call scam

Customers duped by fraudsters posing as Built-in Pro staff using personal data, with one victim losing HK$17,000

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has warned of a new scam in which fraudsters impersonate an electrical appliance retailer to offer compensation or product replacements, with losses totalling HK$17,000 (US$2,170) in one case.

A spokesman for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said on Thursday that it had received 24 complaints and seven inquiries in recent months related to such claims.

All complainants were customers of the electrical appliance brand Built-in Pro.

“Even if callers can allude to your personal data, you should think twice before disclosing any further personal data or making any payment to the callers if you are in doubt about their identities,” the spokesman said.

He told the South China Morning Post that the cases were recorded over the past six months, with the number of complaints rising recently.

All 24 complainants, who had previously made purchases from the brand, received calls from individuals claiming to be staff members of the retailer, alleging that the appliances were defective.