{
  "id": 118600,
  "title": "Hong Kong warns of scam sites posing as Canada, UK and Thailand e-visa portals",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/hong-kong-warns-of-scam-sites-posing-as-canada-uk-and-thailand-e-visa",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-04T06:15:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3362890/hong-kong-warns-scam-sites-posing-canada-uk-and-thailand-e-visa-portals"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Hong Kong's privacy watchdog has warned of suspected fraudulent e-visa application websites. These sites request personal data from unsuspecting applicants. According to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, 16 inquiries or complaints have been received over the past three months.\n\nThe watchdog reports that victims have suffered losses of up to HK$1,700. The fraudulent websites pose as e-visa portals for Canada, the UK, and Thailand.\n\nThe Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data has issued a statement regarding the suspected scam sites.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Former Hong Kong prison guard jailed for 3 years over attack on inmate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/03/former-hong-kong-prison-guard-jailed-for-3-years-over-attack-on-inmate",
        "published": "2026-08-03T23:30:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Hong Kong retail sales rise 4.6% in June as growth streak extends to 14 months",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/hong-kong-retail-sales-rise-4-6-in-june-as-growth-streak-extends-to",
        "published": "2026-08-04T08:47:20.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Hong Kong June retail sales rise 4.6%, seem support from visitors growth",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/04/hong-kong-june-retail-sales-rise-4-6-seem-support-from-visitors-growth",
        "published": "2026-08-04T09:17:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}