Hong Kong police record 1,503 suspicious iPhone charges so far worth HK$30m

Hong Kong police have received more than 1,500 reports of suspicious credit card transactions involving Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro series, totalling more than HK$30 million (US$3.82 million).

In an update on the case, which has drawn public attention, the force said the number of reports had risen to 1,503 as of Tuesday, from about 1,200 two weeks earlier. It added that all the transactions had been cancelled.

Speaking at a Kowloon City district council meeting, Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming noted that in the cases involved, Apple’s online commerce security measures were not in effect and the transactions did not require verification.

“This meant that one-time passwords or mobile app verification were not required, allowing fraudsters to place large orders using illegally obtained credit card information,” he said.

Chow added that police found the IP addresses involved had used VPN technology, while recipient information was either false or incomplete.

The force has requested the cancellation of all related transactions to ensure that cardholders, banks and Apple have not suffered any losses.

Earlier this month, many social media users reported unauthorised credit card transactions involving Apple’s new iPhone models, which were available for pre-order on September 11. The cards had been issued by different banks.

Ahead of the presale of another new iPhone model next month, Chow said police were continuing to investigate the fraud and had asked Apple to review its transaction processes to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The police chief also noted that the overall crime rate in the city rose slightly, by 0.2 per cent, to 59,213 cases from January to August compared with the same period a year ago, but most major serious crimes fell.

He said the police campaign against investment scams had proved effective: online investment scams fell by one-third, while losses decreased by 30 per cent in the first eight months of this year.

Chow also said the level of terrorist threat facing Hong Kong remained “moderate”, but undercurrents still existed.

The force will also begin testing a central drone management system on Hong Kong Island in the third quarter of this year to monitor drone patrol missions and coordinate resources for joint high-altitude patrols.

Chow added that drone hangars would be installed on the rooftops of police stations and some government buildings to enhance patrol coverage and mobility.