First published: 27th March 2014
The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a warning about suspected fraudulent websites with the domain names "www.fleetnationalbk.com" and "www.fleethknational.com" and claimed to be run by "Fleet National Bank, Hong Kong". The HKMA has clarified that "Fleet National Bank, Hong Kong" is not authorized under the Banking Ordinance to carry on banking business or the business of taking deposits in Hong Kong, and does it have the approval to establish a local representative office.
The Police are investigating, and anyone who has used the sites should contact any local Police Station or the Commercial Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.
The two websites are hosted in Germany and the USA, and have very different designs and features, suggesting that they are run by two separate fraudsters. There was a Fleet National Bank in the USA, that was taken over by the Bank of America in 1995, some branches may still be trading under the old name and the fraudsters might be attempting to use a name familiar to their targets for phishing attacks.
A list of authorized institutions is available on the HKMA's website (www.hkma.gov.hk) and can also be checked by callin the HKMA public enquiry hotline 2878 8222.