The Judiciary Police (PJ) reminded the public to be wary of phishing text messages claiming to be from local banks, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a special press conference yesterday.
According to Cheong, from October 1 to November 3, the Judiciary Police (PJ) received a total of 65 reports about phishing text messages purportedly sent by local banks, resulting in total losses of 948,000 patacas. Between Friday last week and Monday this week, 30 citizens were scammed, with their combined losses amounting to 400,000 patacas.
Cheong noted that the scammers have recently been impersonating several banks in Macau, sending text messages with links to citizens that often claim that “bank points are about to expire,” in an attempt to entice them to click the link. When citizens access the counterfeit bank website, they are instructed to enter personal information, including their name, phone number, and address. The website then presents an offer to exchange points for high-value gifts for a nominal fee of one pataca, further encouraging citizens to provide their credit card details and one-time payment verification codes. Scammers then use this information to carry out large overseas transactions.
Cheong added that scammers not only send phishing links but also employ technical means to spoof the official phone numbers of banks as the sender. Since mobile systems automatically add messages from the same number to existing conversations, it becomes difficult for recipients to distinguish between genuine and fraudulent messages, leading them to mistakenly believe they are receiving official messages from their banks, Cheong said.
Between Friday and Monday, 30 locals fell victim to phishing text messages claiming to be from local banks, comprising 14 men and 16 women, with one young person and 29 middle-aged individuals among them. They suffered total losses amounting to 398,781.27 patacas, with the smallest reported loss being 4,900 patacas and the highest reaching 62,200 patacas, PJ spokesman Lei Chi Hou said.
According to Lei, a middle-aged local man received a text message on Monday that appeared to be from the official bank number “8899-5588,” claiming that his account points were about to expire. After clicking the link, he entered his bank credit card details and one-time verification code on the counterfeit website. He later discovered that 1,700 euros (16,100 patacas) and 187,239 baht (46,100 patacas) had been charged to his credit card. Realising he had been scammed, he immediately reported the incident to the police.
The PJ Anti-Fraud Centre emphasised that the relevant banks have issued statements confirming that they would never send text messages with attached links to customers, urging citizens to remain vigilant if they receive such messages. Citizens are reminded to never click on links from unknown sources and to always verify the authenticity of a website before entering personal, bank account, or credit card information. If in doubt, citizens should use the PJ’s Anti-Fraud Programme or report to the fraud hotline on 8800 7777.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesmen Lei Chi Hou (left) and Cheong Un Hong look on during yesterday’s press conference. – Photo: Ada Lei
