Data of 900 Hongkongers exposed after hackers breach WhatsApp accounts of social services and schools

Hackers hit five social services and schools, compromising details, including names and mobile phone numbers of users, parents and pupils

Privacy commissioner’s office says affected organisations have already contacted people affected

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The city’s privacy commissioner has warned of a large-scale WhatsApp hack involving schools and social services’ accounts. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:36pm, 5 Oct 2023Updated: 8:22pm, 5 Oct 2023

Almost 900 Hong Kong people were victims of data breaches over the last month after fraudsters hijacked the WhatsApp accounts of social services and schools, the city’s privacy commissioner revealed on Thursday.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data said that fraudsters had hacked the WhatsApp accounts of five social welfare services and schools and impersonated the organisations in a bid to defraud people listed in their address books.

The news came as the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre warned of a rise in phishing traps designed to target instant messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

The privacy commissioner said details, including names and mobile phone numbers, for service users, school staff, parents and pupils were believed to have been compromised in the latest attack.

The privacy commissioner’s office has warned of a breach of WhatsApp accounts run by schools and social services. Photo: Jelly Tse

Officials added that the organisations involved had notified the people affected by the fraudsters.

Data of 900 Hongkongers exposed after hackers breach WhatsApp accounts of social services and schools

Hackers hit five social services and schools, compromising details, including names and mobile phone numbers of users, parents and pupils Privacy commissioner’s office says affected organisations have already contacted people affected

Hackers hit five social services and schools, compromising details, including names and mobile phone numbers of users, parents and pupils

Privacy commissioner’s office says affected organisations have already contacted people affected