On September 25, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) issued a "fraud alert related to banks," calling on the public to stay vigilant and take note of the press release issued by Dah Sing Bank Limited regarding "fraudulent social media posts."

In a statement on September 24, Dah Sing Bank said it learned that day that a Facebook page called "Dah Sing Bank General Department" had posted multiple false posts claiming that the bank was offering personal loan promotions and inviting customers and the public to click as instructed in the posts to obtain more information. The bank clarified that neither it nor its subsidiaries had ever authorized, designed, or published these posts, that it had no connection whatsoever with that page, and that it would not be responsible for any losses caused by those posts or that page. The bank has already reported the matter to the HKMA and the Hong Kong Police Force.

This is not the first time. On May 8 this year, Dah Sing Bank issued an almost identical statement about a Facebook page called "The Wise Wallet," which likewise falsely claimed that the bank was offering personal loan promotions. Going back 2 more days, in the HKMA's scam alert on September 23, Bank of East Asia, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Chong Hing Bank, and Chiyu Banking Corporation were all involved in fraudulent websites and online banking login screens, while Dah Sing Bank was also involved in a fraudulent website.

When money is tight, the easiest time for a finger to stop while scrolling is when a "personal loan promotion" appears: paying rent, paying tuition, or getting a small business through a cash-flow squeeze — anyone can have days when money is urgently needed. Scammers give a page a name like "bank general department," which sounds very much like an internal department, put up the bank's branding, and strike precisely at such moments.

Scam-proof guide: how to spot fake bank pages and fake loan ads

1. How the scam traps people step by step

● Step 1, set up a page: Open a page on Facebook with a name resembling a bank department, or resembling a financial information page, such as "Dah Sing Bank General Department" or "The Wise Wallet."

● Step 2, post an "offer": The post says the bank is promoting a personal loan offer.

● Step 3, lure you to click: It tells you to click a link as instructed to "get more information."

● Step 4, obtain your data and trick you into transactions: Through the channels specified in the post or on the page, it gets you to provide account login details, personal or financial information, or directly carry out transactions.

2. The moment these signs appear, stop immediately

● There is no blue verification check mark next to the page name. Dah Sing Bank said its official Facebook page name has a blue verification check mark next to it.

● The website link on the page's "About" section is not the bank's official website.

● The web address does not match, or there is no secure padlock icon in the address bar.

● Someone asks you via text message or an email link to go to a "bank website" to carry out a transaction, or asks you by phone, email or text message for your login password or one-time password: the HKMA reminds the public that banks will not do this.

3. The proper way: only trust the bank's official channels

Dah Sing Bank said it will only promote and convey information on products and services through official channels, and its official website is www.dahsing.com. If you need a loan, please learn about it directly through the bank's official website and other official channels; do not provide personal, financial or login information to any suspicious social media page, account or website, and do not conduct any transactions through them, or follow their instructions.

4. What to do if you have already filled in information or transferred money

● Contact Dah Sing Bank's security hotline 2828 8159 as soon as possible.

● At the same time, report the case to the nearest police station, or call the Hong Kong Police Force's Anti-Deception Coordination Centre (ADCC) 24-hour Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 for assistance.

● The HKMA also recommends that people who have provided personal information or carried out transactions in connection with this type of scam contact the relevant bank and call 2860 5012 to report the case to the Information Centre of the Criminal Headquarters of the Hong Kong Police Force.

● For customers and members of the public who are overseas and have already become victims of scams, Dah Sing Bank advises them to immediately report the case to the local police station, or call the local anti-scam hotline for help.

Borrowing money is urgent, which makes it even more important to slow down for a moment. First check the blue tick, then the website address, and finally make a call to the bank's official hotline to get things clarified. Once these 3 steps are done, scammers will mostly have no way to strike.