Police warn of fake e-traffic ticket discount scam
Thestandard · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police on October 6 warned motorists and the public about fraudulent websites posing as the government’s electronic traffic ticket platform and claiming early payment of fines would attract discounts. Authorities said the scam is designed to steal credit card details and personal information, and stressed that fixed penalty payments are never offered at discounted rates under any circumstances. Police said the only official platform is www.etrafficticket.gov.hk, where users can verify a notice by entering a vehicle registration mark and fixed penalty notice number. They also said genuine electronic ticket notices sent by SMS or email never contain hyperlinks, and SMS notices come only from the sender ID “#HKPF-eTT”.
Key Points
- Police said scammers set up fake websites impersonating the eTraffic Ticket Platform and lured drivers with supposed discounts for early settlement of fines.
- The force stressed there are no discounts or concessions for paying traffic ticket fines, and any such claim should be treated as fraudulent.
- The official platform is hosted only at www.etrafficticket.gov.hk, and domains not ending in gov.hk are not government websites.
- Drivers can check a notice’s date, time and location by entering the vehicle registration mark and fixed penalty notice number online.
- Police said authentic SMS notices come only from “#HKPF-eTT”, while both SMS and email notices never include embedded hyperlinks.
Why It Matters
The warning matters because the scam targets routine payments that many motorists may try to settle quickly, increasing the risk of personal and card data theft if they act without checking the source. Police have given clear verification steps, including the official gov.hk domain, the “#HKPF-eTT” sender ID and the absence of links, which provide practical checks for Hong Kong drivers. Anyone who has already submitted personal information to a fake site should contact the Anti-Deception Coordination Centre on 18222, while general enquiries on the platform can be made via 181181.