HSBC
HSBC has been named in 4 documented digital harm incidents. The most common harm domain is Fraud & Financial, followed by Unknown.
Documented Incidents
4Middle-aged woman loses €53,000 to deepfake PM investment scam on Facebook and Telegram
A woman lost €53,000 in a scam after watching deepfake videos featuring Prime Minister Robert Abela on Facebook. The incident occurred in July, when the victim came across a video promoting an investment scheme on July 22. Two days later, she saw additional videos featuring other public figures, including Simon Busuttil, Joseph Muscat, and Ursula von der Leyen. After clicking a link and providing personal and banking information during a call with a +44 number, she was persuaded to invest €250, then €25,000 in cash. The scam involved a supposed financial advisor named "Maria Lipinski," who directed her to install Telegram and AnyDesk to facilitate cryptocurrency trading. The victim was later threatened with legal action and scammed out of additional funds before realizing the scam and reporting it to the police.
53-year-old MMRDA official loses ₹1.69 crore in share trading cyber fraud via WhatsApp and HSSSPMA platform after being lured by Facebook ad posing as global bank
A 53-year-old senior MMRDA official lost Rs 1.69 crore in a share trading cyber fraud. The victim, who was posted as Revenue and Sub-Land Manager, was lured into the scam through a Facebook advertisement that appeared to represent a global bank. On January 30, he was contacted via WhatsApp by someone claiming to be an assistant named Priya Sharma and was added to a group titled “G510 Opportunity Creator.” Over weeks, he was encouraged to invest in fake trading options like IPOs and Super Circuits through a platform called HSSSPMA, where his virtual account showed a profit of Rs 9.91 crore. When he attempted to withdraw funds, he was asked to pay an “Economic Service Fee” of Rs 1.45 crore, and after initiating withdrawals of Rs 90 lakh and Rs 9 crore, he realized no money was credited to his IndusInd Bank account. The victim lodged a complaint with the Nodal Cyber Police Station, Maharashtra Cyber, and an FIR was registered.
Couple on P&O cruise loses £25,000 to SIM swapping scam in Split, Croatia, with fraud later reversed and £75 goodwill payment issued
A couple, Stephen and Karen Ratchford, fell victim to a SIM swapping scam while onboard a P&O cruise in October 2024. Scammers transferred the couple’s phone numbers to new SIM cards, gaining access to their emails, banking information, and personal data. During a port call in Split, Croatia, the couple discovered they had lost access to their phone numbers. Scammers used their information to take out a £25,000 loan from HSBC Bank and incur a £150 mobile phone bill. P&O Cruises crew assisted the couple while they were onboard, but the cruise line was not involved in the scam. The fraud was later reversed, and the couple received a £75 goodwill payment from their mobile provider, iD Mobile.
43-year-old digital nomad and accountant loses £53,000 to Revolut impersonation scam via WhatsApp, draining account and closing Sri Lankan company
A 43-year-old digital nomad and accountant, Alex Falcon Huerta, lost £53,000 in a telephone scam in February 2024 while living in Bali. Scammers impersonated Revolut’s fraud team via WhatsApp, tricking her into providing login details and authorisation codes for fraudulent transactions. The fraudsters made 40 transactions totaling nearly £1,000 each, plus £8,000 spent at Louis Vuitton Dubai, draining her account down to £1,000. Despite reporting the fraud to Revolut, Action Fraud, and the Met Police, she has not recovered any of the stolen funds. As a result of the financial loss, she was forced to close one of her companies in Sri Lanka. Revolut stated it could not assist because the payments were approved by her, and the funds had already been moved from HSBC accounts.