Apple asked to review online transaction process

Police halted all transactions linked to 1,503 suspected credit card scams after the pre-sale of Apple's latest iPhone models earlier this month, with no losses incurred by either cardholders or the company, according to Commissioner of Police Joe Chow. The total amount involved exceeded HK$30 million, prompting police to request Apple to examine its transaction process to prevent similar incidents during the pre-sale of another handset model in mid-October.

Police have maintained close communication with Apple and the banks, and all transactions involved have been cancelled. Investigations revealed that fraudsters exploited Apple's disabled online commerce protection measures during the online transaction process, using virtual private networks and providing false or incomplete recipient information.

When delivery failed, Apple sent a confirmation request for an alternative delivery location, which fraudsters would specify as a public spot for collection by a "gofer." Chow also provided an update on the city's overall crime situation, noting a slight increase in reported cases, with fraud cases rising to 50 percent of all crime, amounting to HK$5.21 billion.

Phone scams, which surged in the previous month, now account for 27 percent of all fraud cases, with over 2,000 cases recorded in a single month, primarily involving scammers impersonating customer service staff using local phone numbers. Chow urged for the amendment of laws to address the issue and the favorable conditions for fraud syndicates provided by the current SIM card registration rules.