A Hong Kong family has accused a bank of aggressively pushing financial products onto elderly customers after discovering that their 75-year-old father — who reportedly does not even own an ATM card — was signed up for three credit cards at the same time.
The incident, first shared on social media, sparked a heated online discussion, with many netizens recounting similar experiences involving elderly relatives being persuaded into signing up for banking products they did not fully understand.
According to the post, the elderly man had spent decades relying solely on a traditional passbook account for deposits and withdrawals, and knew little about electronic banking or credit cards.
The family said they became aware of the issue after receiving three email notifications from a major local bank within the same minute, each confirming the processing of a separate credit card application under the father’s name.
The applications were reportedly for three different cards, including a travel rewards Visa card, a co-branded diamond card and an online shopping Mastercard.
The man’s child questioned why someone who had “never used a credit card in 75 years” would suddenly apply for three at once.
After speaking with him, the family found the elderly man allegedly did not understand that credit cards involved borrowing money and repayment obligations, believing they functioned like debit cards.
The family accused bank staff of taking advantage of elderly customers’ trust in financial institutions in order to meet sales targets.
“Bank staff should have professional ethics instead of targeting elderly people just to hit quotas,” the post said.
The family later contacted the bank’s credit card center and successfully halted all three applications.
The incident prompted many online users to share similar experiences. One commenter claimed their elderly mother had been persuaded by bank staff to switch fixed deposits into savings insurance products, while another said their father had been encouraged to apply for a credit card in exchange for supermarket coupons, only to later receive annual fee charges.
Some self-identified frontline bank employees responded online by describing intense sales pressure within the industry, saying staff often faced strict performance targets.
Others questioned whether the elderly man was truly unaware of what he was signing up for, noting that credit cards had long been common in Hong Kong. The family maintained that while he knew he was applying for a credit card, he did not fully understand its borrowing function.
The case has renewed public concern over the protection of elderly banking customers.
Earlier this year, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Hong Kong Association of Banks introduced new elderly-friendly banking guidelines.
Under the measures, banks are encouraged to strengthen safeguards for elderly customers, including allowing trusted family members to be designated as contact persons for high-risk transactions such as large withdrawals or third-party transfers.
