Hong Kong police record 1,503 suspicious iPhone charges so far worth HK$30m
Por Lo Hoi-ying — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Crime in Hong Kong Hong Kong Law and Crime Hong Kong police record 1,503 suspicious iPhone charges so far worth HK$30m
Police say all unauthorised iPhone 18 Pro transactions have been cancelled and Apple has been asked to review its payment security measures
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Lo Hoi-ying Published: 8:49pm, 29 Sep 2026 Updated: 9:15pm, 29 Sep 2026
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.
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