Rights group warns of fake fundraisers as foreign domestic workers killed in Tai Po fire

Amid the devastating blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po that left more than a hundred people dead—including several foreign domestic workers—an NGO has warned of suspected imposters soliciting donations online and urged the public to suspend giving until victims’ identities and next of kin are fully verified.

Fay Siu Sin-man, chief executive of the Association for the Rights of Industrial Accident Victims, said on a radio program Wednesday morning that the organization had detected cases of individuals posing as victims’ family members to raise money.

She added that even genuine relatives may face complex circumstances that make immediate fundraising risky.

“We are calling on the public to stop donating for now,” she said, stressing that verifying the identities of the deceased and their families is the “most important and most difficult” task at this stage.

Eleven domestic worker cases under review, including nine deaths

Siu said the group is following up on 11 cases involving domestic workers affected by the fire: nine fatalities—eight Indonesian and one Filipino—along with one injured person and one missing worker.

She noted two types of problematic fundraising emerging online. In some cases, individuals claiming to be family members launched public appeals, but verification with relatives showed the claims were false. In other cases, friends or acquaintances of victims may have initiated fundraisers “out of goodwill,” though such efforts still risk misdirecting donations.

Given the complexities, Siu urged the public to wait until official confirmation is completed to ensure that assistance reaches the rightful beneficiaries.

Verification expected to take months; DNA testing possible

Siu said verifying the identities of victims and their immediate families is exceptionally challenging and time-consuming. The process requires collecting legal documents for authentication through consulates and, more importantly, confirming the victims’ family situations through local contacts in their home villages.

She said similar past cases had required one to two months for certification alone.

For heavily burned or unidentifiable remains, Siu did not rule out the possibility of families needing to travel to Hong Kong or undergoing DNA testing simultaneously in both locations. 

She described this as “unprecedented” and said the group would proceed step by step. For missing workers, a death certificate can only be issued after authorities follow existing procedures, which may take additional time.

Siu also noted that it is often difficult for relatives to travel to Hong Kong. In past cases the families were “unable to obtain visas,” and the remains were typically repatriated directly instead.

Compensation distribution also poses challenges

Siu added that compensation may become complicated because many foreign domestic workers have not written wills in Hong Kong.

While Hong Kong’s workers’ compensation law provides a clear distribution formula—such as 50 percent to spouses and equal division among children—such structures do not always exist in workers’ home countries, where families may need to negotiate the allocation internally.

She warned that, even with genuine family members, “donations could end up in the hands of someone who is not the person most in need,” stressing that the group’s priority is to ensure all relief funds reach the appropriate relatives.

Group pauses acceptance of cash donations

Siu said the association is working closely with consulates, employers and employment agencies to gather accurate information on missing or deceased domestic workers.

She thanked members of the public, institutions and government departments for their support, noting that many groups had already expressed willingness to donate.

However, the association will not accept cash donations at this stage. Instead, it is collecting contact information from interested donors and organizations. Once verification of victims and family members is complete, the group will reach out proactively to arrange distribution, ensuring “every dollar of goodwill is properly used.”