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Crime in Hong Kong
Hong KongLaw and Crime

Scam websites disguised as WhatsApp login pages top Google search results in Hong Kong despite efforts to remove them

  • Online search by Post finds up to four sham login pages replicating genuine WhatsApp site as top results for messaging platform’s web version
  • WhatsApp spokeswoman says company has worked with Google to take down the scam ads

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A spokeswoman for WhatsApp says the company has been working with Google to remove the fake adverts. Photo: Shutterstock
Jess Ma
Scam websites disguised as login pages for the WhatsApp messaging platform are still topping Google search results in Hong Kong despite efforts to remove them, prompting calls from experts for enhanced security measures given the low cost of advertising such fraudulent links.
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An online search by the Post found up to four sham login pages replicating the genuine WhatsApp site as the top results for the instant-messaging platform’s web version, even though a company spokeswoman said it had acted against the fakes.

“We worked with Google to take down the scam ads,” the WhatsApp spokeswoman said.

“We highly recommend that people only use official versions of WhatsApp from trusted sources, such as app stores or from our official site and to be suspicious of any unofficial sources.”

An insider on Friday said some scam pages had been taken down.

Police recorded a ninefold rise in the number of hijacked instant messaging accounts in a month. Photo: Shutterstock
Police recorded a ninefold rise in the number of hijacked instant messaging accounts in a month. Photo: Shutterstock

An unprecedented surge in scam reports related to compromised WhatsApp accounts prompted police to issue a warning on Monday, urging residents to beware of fake login websites and to boost their security settings.

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