Police probe 1,209 iPhone preorder card fraud reports
On.cc · 10 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police said by 5pm on Monday, 1,209 people had reported suspected unauthorised credit-card transactions used to preorder Apple’s latest smartphones, with about HK$25 million involved. The case has been classified as obtaining property by deception and handed to the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau for investigation. Police said preliminary checks by the relevant banks and Apple indicated their systems were operating normally and that the incident does not currently appear to involve a cyberattack. Investigators said the preorder payments did not require a one-time password or other authentication, allowing transactions to go through without cardholders’ confirmation.
Key Points
- Apple opened preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max at 8pm on Saturday, 12 September, after which social-media complaints quickly multiplied.
- Police said many victims discovered the transactions only after receiving bank alerts, while some social-media users reported repeated “card-not-present” charges and losses exceeding HK$60,000.
- Reported transaction amounts included HK$10,499, HK$11,499 and HK$13,299, with one case involving at least six Hang Seng Bank alerts for HK$13,299 each
- Police said the investigation is focusing on whether victims had submitted card data on common platforms or previously fallen for phishing scams, as well as suspects’ digital footprints.
- Authorities have passed complaint details to banks and Apple to help cancel suspicious transactions, while urging cardholders to lock cards, contact issuers and merchants, and file police reports.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong cardholders, the immediate issue is not only disputed charges but how quickly suspicious orders can be stopped before settlement or delivery. The case has also raised questions about whether high-demand online purchases should require stronger customer verification, even when banks and merchants say their systems were functioning normally. Consumers are also being warned about follow-up scams, with technology-sector representative Francis Fong Po-kiu and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority cautioning that fraudsters may pose as bank staff or others offering refunds and then seek personal data, card details or passwords.