Hong Kong warns of scam sites posing as Canada, UK and Thailand e-visa portals

Hong Kong’s privacy watchdog has warned of suspected e-visa-application-websites" class="entity-link entity-topic" data-entity-id="177854" data-entity-type="topic">fraudulent e-visa application websites that request personal data from unsuspecting applicants, with victims suffering losses of up to HK$1,700 (US$216).The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for personal data said in a statement on Monday that it had received 16 inquiries or complaints over the past three months about the provision of personal data and fee payments to suspected fraudulent sites posing as e-visa application portals.“The [office] urges members of the public to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of e-visa websites before applying and providing any personal data, so as to safeguard their privacy,” a spokesman said.