Combating investment scams

The financial services industry is a target for scammers around the world. Scammers are impersonating real people from reputable financial service firms and are making unsolicited contact with individuals via phone, email, instant messaging or other social media platforms in an effort to get them to invest in fake investment products.

This webpage contains some guidance to assist you in identifying any suspicious approaches.

What is an investment scam?

An investment scam is a fake investment opportunity presented to individuals by scammers who impersonate real people from financial service firms. The scammers will present extremely appealing investment opportunities through a series of highly convincing interactions, often supported by sophisticated fake disclosure documents and application material.

How can I avoid being scammed?

Treat any unsolicited contact from financial service firms or individuals who are not your trusted financial adviser with suspicion. FSI does not make direct contact with prospective individual investors regarding investment opportunities.

What are some indicators of an investment scam?

• Unexpected, unsolicited contact
• Promises around guaranteed investment returns
• Claims that the government or a regulatory authority guarantees investments
• Invitation-only investment opportunities or time pressures to invest.

What should I do if I think I am the target of a scam?

• If you’ve been scammed, file a police report at https://www.erc.police.gov.hk/cmiserc/CCC/CheckClientConf?language=en&report=TCAD or Hong Kong Police Force Hotline and they can advise you on what needs to be done.
• If you receive any unsolicited contact from persons purporting to be representatives of FSI please do not respond to it, notify us by email via [email protected].

Is there any additional information or resources available to help me identify potential scams?

• For current alerts on scams: https://www.adcc.gov.hk/en-hk/alerts.html
• For general information on your online safety: https://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/smart-consumers/beware-of-fraudsters/