With scammers continually evolving their tactics, citizens have recently been alerted to a new scam involving phishing messages that impersonate food delivery platforms.
According to a social media post by the police, fraudsters have been randomly sending messages claiming that the food delivery platform users' orders have been confirmed and a specific amount of money has been withdrawn, luring victims to call the provided number for verification.
When citizens call these suspicious numbers, they will be connected to scammers posing as the platform's customer service representatives, who offer to assist in "canceling the order."
However, once victims transfer a "guarantee deposit" to a designated account, the scammers disappear.
Police reports indicate that some victims have lost up to HK$4,300 after falling for these scams.
Foodpanda notified its users via social media on Monday (Aug 11), clarifying that the company would not send any SMS regarding order status or financial transactions.
The company advises users not to reply to or return calls to the numbers in the messages, and to avoid clicking any external links or providing personal information.
Another food delivery platform, Keeta, also released a statement alerting users to the fraudulent messages claiming that users had placed orders and were being charged.
For any inquiries, Keeta advised the public to contact their customer service through the official app and to avoid calling the suspicious number or clicking on dubious links.
To protect personal information and bank accounts, police reiterated their advice not to call the suspicious numbers mentioned in the messages.
Additionally, the police also cautioned that mobile phones might automatically group messages from the same sender, making it difficult for citizens to distinguish the authenticity of the messages.
Citizens are encouraged to call the "Anti-Scam Helpline 18222" hotline for assistance.
