Media Statements
Privacy Commissioner’s Office Urges Caution against Suspected Fraudulent E-Visa Websites
Date: 4 August 2026
Privacy Commissioner’s Office Urges Caution against
Illustration: Comparison of genuine and fraudulent e-visa websites of three different countries.
Privacy Commissioner’s Office Urges Caution against
Suspected Fraudulent E-Visa Websites
The summer holiday season is a peak period for outbound travel, and suspected fraudulent electronic visa (e-visa) websites have emerged from time to time. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) received 16 enquiries or complaints cases over the past three months, involving the provision of personal data and payment of application fees to suspected fraudulent e-visa websites. The PCPD urges members of the public to remain vigilant and verify the authenticity of e-visa websites before applying for e-visas and providing any personal data, so as to safeguard their personal data privacy.
The complaints and enquiries received by the PCPD reveal that, victims mistakenly trusted the search results when searching for websites to apply for visas of destinations, electronic travel authorisations or arrival cards. It was only after they had submitted their personal data, including names, gender, nationalities, passport numbers and dates of birth, and paid application fees and related surcharges that they realised the websites concerned might be fraudulent. The monetary losses ranged from over HK$300 to over HK$1,700 in individual cases.
The PCPD reminds the public to take note of the following when applying for e-visas online to safeguard their personal data privacy:
Anyone who suspects that his/her personal data has been leaked may make enquiries or lodge complaints with the PCPD (“Personal Data Fraud Prevention Hotline”: 3423 6611 or email: communications@pcpd.org.hk). If there is any suspicion of fraud on personal data which involves criminal offence(s), they should immediately report the case to the Police. Citizens may also use “Scameter” (https://cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/) to check suspicious phone numbers, email addresses and websites, etc.
The complaints and enquiries received by the PCPD reveal that, victims mistakenly trusted the search results when searching for websites to apply for visas of destinations, electronic travel authorisations or arrival cards. It was only after they had submitted their personal data, including names, gender, nationalities, passport numbers and dates of birth, and paid application fees and related surcharges that they realised the websites concerned might be fraudulent. The monetary losses ranged from over HK$300 to over HK$1,700 in individual cases.
The PCPD reminds the public to take note of the following when applying for e-visas online to safeguard their personal data privacy:
- Stay alert and carefully verify the full website address (URL): Fraudulent websites may use URLs that closely resemble those of official websites, but the URLs often contain spelling mistakes, extra letters or numbers, or other irregularities. Members of the public should carefully verify the URL to ensure that they are accessing the correct websites. If in doubt, they may consider making enquiries with the relevant travel agency or Consulate-General in Hong Kong;
- Do not rely solely on search engine results: Search engine results may lead to fraudulent websites. Applicants should access e-visa application platforms through links provided on the websites of Consulates-General or representative offices of the relevant countries or regions in Hong Kong. For enquiries on the visa requirements, they should check with the relevant travel agency, Consulates-General or representative offices. Information on Consulates-General is available on the website of the Protocol Division Government Secretariat: https://www.protocol.gov.hk/en/posts_bodies.html; and
- Pay attention to fraud prevention information: Pay attention to fraud prevention information published by the PCPD, the Police or relevant organisations to bolster the awareness of fraud prevention.
Anyone who suspects that his/her personal data has been leaked may make enquiries or lodge complaints with the PCPD (“Personal Data Fraud Prevention Hotline”: 3423 6611 or email: communications@pcpd.org.hk). If there is any suspicion of fraud on personal data which involves criminal offence(s), they should immediately report the case to the Police. Citizens may also use “Scameter” (https://cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/) to check suspicious phone numbers, email addresses and websites, etc.
Illustration: Comparison of genuine and fraudulent e-visa websites of three different countries.