Hong Kong warns public over fake census website
Hkgov · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Census & Statistics Department on Sunday warned the public about a fraudulent web address, “https://eservioe-twwngs[.]xyz”, which claims to be the website for the 2026 Population Census. The department said related SMS messages and emails have also been circulating, asking recipients to submit personal information through a hyperlink leading to the fake site. It stressed that it has no connection with the website, messages or emails, and said the matter has been referred to the Police Force for follow-up. People who may already have submitted personal information were urged to contact Police
Key Points
- The fraudulent address identified by the department was “https://eservioe-twwngs[.]xyz”, which purported to be the official website of the 2026 Population Census
- The department said scam SMS messages and emails asked recipients to provide personal information through a hyperlink directing them to the fake census website
- For genuine census-related contact in Hong Kong, the caller ID “18 2026” or SMS sender ID “#C&SD” will be displayed, the department said
- The department said it does not ask respondents to submit passwords by telephone, email or SMS, and does not embed hyperlinks unless respondents request them
- It also said households will not be required to provide Hong Kong Identity Card, bank account or credit card information for the census, and suspected deception cases should be reported to Police
Why It Matters
The warning gives households practical checks to distinguish legitimate census contact from phishing attempts, especially by verifying caller and sender IDs and avoiding unsolicited links. It also underlines the risk of identity and financial fraud when scammers exploit official public exercises such as the 2026 Population Census to collect sensitive personal data