The Hong Kong Insurance Authority (IA) has issued a public notice about phishing scams targeting local policyholders.
Fraudulent mobile text messages, falsely claiming to originate from FWD Life Insurance Company (Bermuda) Limited, have been used to solicit personal and payment information from recipients.
According to the IA, the scam messages instructed individuals to call a suspicious phone number to cancel what was described as a premium renewal for an insurance policy.
FWD has confirmed it is not connected to the messages and has reported the matter to the Hong Kong Police Force for investigation.
The IA advised anyone who may have disclosed personal information or completed transactions based on these fraudulent messages to immediately contact FWD at 3123-3123 and report the case to the police.
This alert is part of a broader pattern of phishing scams affecting Hong Kong’s insurance market.
On Jan. 3, the IA issued warnings about a similar scam involving fraudulent messages impersonating Bowtie Life Insurance Company Limited. In these cases, individuals were asked to contact a suspicious number under the pretext of resolving insurance-related issues.
Bowtie has stated it has no connection to the fraudulent messages and has referred the incidents to law enforcement for further action.
Both companies confirmed they were not involved and urged affected individuals to notify their customer service teams and local authorities.
The IA has reminded consumers to verify any communication regarding their insurance policies through official channels. The regulator also urged the public to use its online Register of Authorized Insurers to confirm the legitimacy of insurers.
Hong Kong’s insurance sector has seen a surge in phishing scams, prompting repeated warnings from the IA. The regulator emphasised the importance of avoiding suspicious messages and immediately reporting potential scams to the police and relevant insurers.
