The Hong Kong SAR government on Thursday warned investors about a fraudulent cryptocurrency bearing the name “National Hong Kong Coin”.
The news came after a fake account impersonating Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu appeared on the social media platform X. The account, under the name "John Lee Ka-chiu," featured a photo of the Hong Kong leader himself and posted that Hong Kong would “launch [the] National Hong Kong Coin on Solana blockchain” today.
The suspected scammer also wrote that “this strategic step marks a new era in digital innovation and economic growth for Hong Kong”.
In a statement issued today, the SAR government clarified that the account is fake and the information regarding the issuance of a cryptocurrency by the Chief Executive is false.
The government strongly condemned this act of spreading misinformation and has handed the matter over to the police for investigation.
