iPhone 18 Pro Pre-order Chaos: Thousands Report Fraudulent Credit Card Charges
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max pre-orders launched on Saturday evening (September 12), immediately overwhelming online systems and triggering widespread confusion among Hong Kong customers. Within minutes, numerous netizens took to social media to report receiving multiple credit card payment notifications from their banks — sometimes six or more in rapid succession — despite never successfully completing their orders. The apparent discrepancy between charges appearing and orders failing to materialize sparked immediate fears of fraud or unauthorized credit card activity.
Key Points
- iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max pre-orders opened at 8 PM on September 12, 2026, with demand immediately overwhelming Apple's online store
- Multiple netizens reported receiving numerous credit card payment SMS notifications without being able to complete their pre-orders, prompting concerns about potential fraud
- KOL Seto Hip-sai (司徒夾帶) received at least six SMS messages from Hang Seng Bank, each showing a "no-card payment" transaction of HK$13,299 — consistent with the retail price of a 512GB iPhone 18 Pro Max
- Francis Fong (方保僑), Honorary President of the Hong Kong Information Technology Joint Council, confirmed that such system overloads have occurred before, including during Apple's 2024 pre-order launch
- According to Fong, payment processors typically do not finalize charges when orders fail to generate successfully, though customers are advised to contact their banks for reassurance
- Hang Seng Bank recently launched a promotional campaign offering up to 10% cashback (equivalent to HK$550) on Apple purchases exceeding HK$5,500, which experts believe drove the concentrated traffic surge
Why It Matters
This incident highlights the ongoing tension between massive consumer demand and retail infrastructure during high-profile product launches in Hong Kong. As Apple remains one of the most popular smartphone brands in the city, such system failures affect thousands of eager customers and underscore the need for more robust payment processing systems during peak traffic periods .
This incident highlights the ongoing tension between massive consumer demand and retail infrastructure during high-profile product launches in Hong Kong. As Apple remains one of the most popular smartphone brands in the city, such system failures affect thousands of eager customers and underscore the need for more robust payment processing systems during peak traffic periods .