A shop owner has been harassed and threatened after a customer mistakenly transferred HK$7,000 and demanded an immediate refund.
The case involved a shop which sells Apple accessories and darts equipment. The owner said the company account received two unexpected payments — HK$2,000 and HK$5,000 — on a Sunday, despite no matching orders.
A customer later claimed he had sent the money in error via Faster Payment System (FPS) and pressed for an instant return. The owner said he was willing to refund the sum but insisted on handling it through the bank the next working day for security reasons.
“I don’t know the source of the funds. If it’s linked to money laundering, my account could be frozen,” he said.
The customer allegedly responded with abusive messages, bombarding him with messages on Instagram, and threatened legal action, claiming to work in the legal sector. Despite the owner contacting the bank and confirming the refund process, the harassment continued, forcing him to block the customer.
The situation escalated when the owner received anonymous calls from a person claiming to be a lawyer from a Causeway Bay firm. The caller demanded the money be returned, but the owner later discovered the number matched the customer’s own contact details, suggesting impersonation.
The owner submitted a bank form on Monday, and the funds were returned through official channels. The customer stopped contacting him after receiving the money.
The owner said he would continue to avoid direct refunds in similar cases to minimise risk.
Under guidelines from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks, people who make mistaken transfers should contact their bank for assistance. Banks will coordinate the return after verifying the transaction and obtaining authorisation.
Legal experts warn that returning unknown funds privately carries risks, as accounts linked to suspicious transactions may be frozen or investigated.
