Authorities in Hong Kong have issued a warning after an X account impersonating Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu falsely claimed the government was launching a “National Hong Kong Coin” on the Solana blockchain. The fake account also announced that the coin will be launched at 02:00 PM Hong Kong Time (6:00 PM UTC).
The false claims first appeared at around 7:00 AM UTC on Thursday when an X account under the name “JohnLeeKa_Chiu” posted about the supposed launch of a national cryptocurrency. The post coined the initiative as an aid to economic growth in Hong Kong.
The fraudulent user tried to obscure their efforts by replying to dozens of posts from political figureheads like US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Hong Kong Police Force, and companies, including OpenAI.
Hong Kong government denounces the attempted scam
Hong Kong authorities quickly took to social media to discredit the claims of a Hong Kong Coin launch. Johnny Ng Kit-chong, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, warned the public about the impersonation through his X and Facebook socials.
“Several citizens and Web3 practitioners have been asking me about someone pretending to be our Chief Executive Mr. John LEE on X,” he wrote. “This impersonator is posting about launching something called ‘National Hong Kong Coin’ on the Solana blockchain. To be absolutely clear – the government has confirmed this is completely fake and designed to scam people. Please be careful out there and don’t fall for this trick!“
A government spokesperson also condemned the fraudulent posts, calling them “false and deceptive.” The statement urged residents to be watchful and cautious, adding that the matter had been referred to the police for further investigation.
“The government strongly condemns those pretending to be the city leader for spreading fake information,” the spokesperson said.
Second time of asking
It is not the first time CE Lee’s name has been used to try defrauding crypto investors. About a month ago, on January 25, Hong Kong authorities exposed a fraudulent scheme involving an AI-generated video impersonating the official.
The Chinese special administration’s government exposed the circulating investment video and warned investors about Lee’s remarks being entirely fabricated.
The video reportedly plagiarized an interview between Lee and a local journalist, using artificial intelligence to create a misleading advertisement. It promoted an investment opportunity promising HK$60,000 ($7,674) per week in returns for an initial investment of HK$2,000 ($256).
Authorities denounced the scheme and warned the public to verify the authenticity of investment-related advertisements and keep personal information secure. According to Hong Kong media, there was another AI-generated video featuring billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk promoting the same investment plan.
Local news outlet TVB News reported that Hong Kong police had not received any reports of individuals being defrauded.
Similar fraudulent attempt appears in Morocco
Authorities in Morocco also publicized a digital impersonation scam involving Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. The Moroccan government warned the public on Wednesday about a fraudulent X account impersonating Akhannouch to promote a fictitious national cryptocurrency. The fake account advertised non-existent digital currency and investment opportunities, prompting officials to issue a public alert.
“The only official account reporting the activities of the Head of Government and the institution of the Head of Government on platform X is: @ChefGov_ma,” Akhannouch’s office stated.
The fraudulent activity comes just a day after Morocco’s central bank, Bank Al-Maghrib (BAM), revealed a similar attempt to swindle money from citizens. According to BAM, scammers created fake media content, illegally using the bank’s identity and the image of its governor. Authorities suspect the fraudulent materials were generated using artificial intelligence.
In response to the fraudulent activities, Akhannouch’s office asked citizens and social media users to rely solely on verified government accounts. BAM also said it would take legal action to protect its identity and prevent further scams.
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