Fake travel pages lure buyers with cut-price packages
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Fraudsters have been setting up fake social media pages impersonating travel agencies, copying real package details and advertising prices well below market rates to attract customers. In one case, a bogus page claiming to be “Hong Kong Mei X International Travel” promoted a two-day, one-night Macau package for as little as HK$588 and repeatedly pressed a reporter to pay quickly because places were supposedly limited. Another fake page also claimed to sell sought-after concert tickets, including Andy Lau tickets, saying it would charge only face value plus a HK$50 service fee. Industry representative Chui Ting-bong (崔定邦) urged consumers to verify pages through official channels, look for platform verification badges and, where possible, complete transactions at physical branches
Key Points
- A fake page impersonating “Hong Kong Mei X International Travel” advertised a Macau two-day, one-night package from HK$588, including hotel, transport, buffet and attraction tickets
- During the inquiry, the suspected scammer repeatedly said the offer would end soon, claimed places were limited and sent Faster Payment System and bank account details
- The bank account name appeared as a company name in Mandarin pinyin, while the Faster Payment System account was a personal account signed “Shxxx Xixx Mixx”
- Another fake page claimed to sell popular concert tickets, including Andy Lau shows, saying it rejected scalping and charged only ticket price plus HK$50 service fee
- The travel agency Qi Qi Wan Holidays (齊齊玩假期) said it was the first time it had found an impersonating social media page and had received two customer inquiries
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong consumers who are used to booking trips and paying online, the case shows how easily scammers can mimic legitimate travel promotions and exploit urgency to secure transfers. It also adds pressure on travel agencies to strengthen page verification, as Chui Ting-bong said official pages without verification badges should apply for them as soon as possible. Police advice to check seller details, search account information and call the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 if in doubt remains directly relevant as online shopping fraud continues to cause heavy losses