SCMP files police report over copycat website pushing fake crypto investments

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) has filed a police report over a copycat website pushing fake digital asset investments. According to the online publication website, the move to report to the police was necessary following the impersonation of its digital publication to spread cryptocurrency scams.

According to the website, the fraudulent website had published fabricated news containing claims that Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing had promoted cryptocurrency auto trading during a live television interview. The said article, which was dated April 17, featured several edited screenshots falsely claiming that Li had revealed making millions from crypto auto trading.

The publication noted that the Hong Kong billionaire asserted in an interview with major Hong Kong television broadcaster TVB. As if the false claims were not enough, the fraudulent website used an online interface that looked like that of SCMP, making the claims look authentic to sway unsuspecting individuals into investing in the platform.

SCMP reports fraudulent website pushing fake crypto investment interview

According to a spokesperson from SCMP, the issue had since been escalated to the police. “We are aware of the situation and have reported it to the police,” an SCMP spokesman confirmed. The spokesperson also advised readers to be vigilant, urging them to avoid scams and phishing websites. They noted that readers should only ensure that they access news materials through the official website.

Reports have shown that the real SCMP website did not post any news related to what the impostor website posted on April 17. A quick review of the TVB website also showed that there was no broadcast or interview from Li Ka-shing to that effect. TVB has also filed a police report regarding the fraudulent claims, asking the public to remain vigilant when reading news materials from unknown websites.

The incident is just one of the many cases where scammers have used the credibility that some established media organizations have built over the years. They spun these fake websites, mimicking the original ones, to lure victims. According to reports, these scammers create articles that look realistic, using a false sense of urgency in their investments to drive users to put in their funds.

Scammers tick up impersonation activities

These types of scams are bigger than news, as these scammers even pretend to be influential figures on social media, mimicking them to lie about an investment or new token to scam unsuspecting victims. According to SCMP, these scammers infused huge efforts in trying to replicate the SCMP aesthetic. The platform noted that it shows the growing difficulty in trying to tell apart the real news platform from the fake ones.

SCMP noted that the scammers copied the website well enough to fool readers who do not practice good digital hygiene, something it claims every reader should be able to adopt. Meanwhile, scammers have been trying to use the image and brand of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing over the last few years. Ka-shing is well known in the country and the founder of CK Hutchison Holdings, as scammers have been using his likeness to perpetrate bad acts.

Experts have also urged consumers to verify news outlets and the news they come across so that they can save themselves from these types of scam activities. They mentioned that users should be able to access information from the actual website after they have verified it, instead of accessing them through emails, messages, or social media. Also, experts have warned that scammers have ticked up their activities, with most of them using claims of exaggerated returns to sway users. In light of these, traders need to be careful, even as celebrity endorsements most time may even be a ploy to scam them.

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