Privacy watchdog probes three Hong Kong data leaks
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has begun investigations into three reported data leak incidents involving Hong Kong Airlines, Yoho Hong Kong and Broadway. The cases came to light after customers received calls from people claiming to be customer service staff, offering compensation for cancelled flights or refunds for damaged parcels. Initial information indicates 815 Hong Kong Airlines passengers and 790 Yoho customers received suspected scam calls, while Broadway also reported affected customers. The watchdog said it had received 23 complaints and 20 enquiries about the three incidents as of October 26.
Key Points
- The privacy watchdog said it received Hong Kong Airlines’ breach notification on October 2 and has since opened an investigation under its established mechanism.
- Initial findings show 815 passengers departing between September 29 and October 22 received suspected scam calls after the airline incident.
- The potentially exposed Hong Kong Airlines data included names, phone numbers, flight dates, flight numbers and routes, according to the watchdog.
- Yoho Hong Kong notified the watchdog on October 5; 790 customers who placed orders between September 29 and October 12 were affected.
- Broadway filed its notification on October 26, saying customers received suspected scam calls involving possible exposure of names, phone numbers, products bought and payment amounts.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong consumers, the cases show how leaked order and travel details can make scam calls appear convincing even when callers already know personal information. The privacy watchdog urged people to verify callers through official websites, customer service hotlines or physical stores, and warned that merchants handling compensation or refunds would not normally ask for deposits, handling fees or bank-transfer “verification”