Voucher eligibility issues cleared amid scam warnings

Hongkongers will not be disqualified from receiving the HK$2,000 consumption voucher on July 16 even if they fail to reply to the government's eligibility-check SMS messages within three days. They will, however, eventually need to respond.

The government has sent texts to a "small number" of registered people to verify whether they still reside in Hong Kong to confirm their eligibility for the second round of vouchers.

A government spokesman said residents will not lose their eligibility even if they do not reply to the texts. But voucher scheme representatives will call or send another message if people do not respond to the first text, he said. Those who completed the screening will be able to receive the voucher if they submitted the documents on time, the spokesman said.

However, those who did not submit the necessary documents or who have permanently left Hong Kong will not be eligible.

Authorities, meanwhile, have recorded a dozen suspected scams using "verification messages." Some people said it was hard to tell whether the texts were genuine.

Speaking on radio yesterday, principal assistant secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Ricky Chong Kwok-man said residents who received the texts are required to respond as instructed.

He added that people need not disclose any personal information.

"Instead of asking people to reveal their information on the call, authorities will require them to submit the information through e-mail or by person to the [consumption voucher scheme] secretariat," Chong said.

While not revealing how many people were chosen, he said half of those have proved their eligibility.

Chong also said more than 10 suspected cases of voucher scams have been referred to police.

To help residents distinguish the calls, Chong said: "We would only call with specific phone numbers, which are listed on the consumption voucher office website," adding that there would be no hyperlinks and no "audio recordings."

tsdreporter8@singtaocorp.com