Hong Kong police report 1,503 suspicious iPhone charges worth HK$30 million

Hong Kong police have received 1,503 reports of suspicious credit-card transactions linked to Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series, with a combined value exceeding HK$30 million. The force said on Tuesday that the number of reports had increased from about 1,200 two weeks earlier. Police said all the transactions had been cancelled, preventing losses to cardholders, banks and Apple.

Commissioner of Police Joe Chow Yat-ming said the cases involved a period when Apple’s online commerce security measures were not active. The transactions did not require one-time passwords or verification through mobile applications, allowing large orders to be placed using illegally obtained card information. Police found that the relevant IP addresses had used virtual private network technology.

Recipient information was either false or incomplete, Mr Chow said at a Kowloon City district council meeting. The suspicious purchases concerned new iPhone models that became available for pre-order on 11 September. Social media users had earlier reported unauthorised charges on cards issued by different banks.

Mr Chow said the investigation was continuing and that police had asked Apple to review its transaction procedures before another new iPhone model goes on sale next month. The police commissioner also reported a slight rise in Hong Kong’s overall crime rate. There were 59,213 cases from January to August, a 0.2 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier, although most major serious crimes declined.

Online investment scams fell by one-third during the first eight months of the year, while associated losses dropped by 30 per cent, he said. Police also described Hong Kong’s terrorist threat level as moderate and plan to test a central drone-management system on Hong Kong Island.