HSBC hit with spoofed website

Global banking giant HSBC was hit with a 'spoofed' website made up to look like its Hong Kong home page on Friday. Using the bank's logo and a similar sounding web address, www.hkhsbc.com, the site had a logon page that requested customers' online banking User IDs and passwords, like the real site, www.hsbc.com.hk

The site went down by Friday evening, and now displays an "under construction" front page. The domain's owner is registered to a Taipei, Taiwan address. However, the Associated Press reports that the same fake website exists under a new domain name, according to Hong Kong press reports.

An HSBC spokesman told Reuters that the bank had not received any reports from customers about losses due to the site yet.

HSBC warned customers to verify that they are connected to an official HSBC website before entering any confidential data. It asked customers who had used the fake website to contact HSBC officials.

Hong Kong police and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority which acts as the territory's central bank, are investigating the site. A spokesman from the Monetary Authority told the Associated Press that the fake website was registered in the US. He said that the Hong Kong officials are liasing with relevant overseas authorities.

Reuters said that this is the latest in a string of bank frauds in Hong Kong ranging from 'spoofed' websites to fake ATM cards.