Hong Kong’s financial regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), has taken action against fake websites that are impersonating popular local cryptocurrency exchanges. The SFC issued an official warning on March 4, alerting the public to multiple suspicious websites that were pretending to be licensed crypto trading platforms. The fake domains included OSL Digital Securities and Hash Blockchain Limited, known as HashKey.
To address this issue, the SFC blocked a total of six websites: hskexpro.com, hskex.com, hskexs.com, hskexit.com, oslexu.com, and oslint.com. These actions were prompted by reports of fund withdrawal difficulties and high fees and commissions for withdrawals.
In response to the SFC’s request, the Hong Kong Police Force has taken steps to prevent access to these fraudulent websites. The SFC has included these websites on its official crypto alert list, along with other fake websites impersonating crypto exchanges like MEXC. In fact, on February 9, the SFC already blacklisted eight domains that were impersonating MEXC.
The SFC advised investors to verify the legitimacy of trading platforms by consulting its public register of licensed individuals and registered institutions. They also recommended referring to the list of licensed virtual asset trading platforms for accurate information about licensed entities and their official websites. The regulator emphasized the importance of verifying the identity of the counterparty before engaging in any financial transactions.
Detecting fake websites can be challenging, especially for first-time users. Bartosz Barwikowski, a security expert at blockchain security firm Hacken, explained that it is not easy to determine whether a website is genuine or fake. He suggested relying on trusted third parties instead of search engines or social media platforms, as scammers can manipulate search results. Barwikowski offered two recommendations to avoid fake websites.
This development comes shortly after the SFC closed the latest round of licensing applications from crypto exchanges on February 29. Exchanges that failed to register or submit their applications by that date will be required to exit the region within three months.
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