SFC blacklists two more virtual asset exchanges
The city’s securities watchdog on Wednesday warned of another two virtual asset platforms suspected of fraud. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) said it had added “LonShiX” and “Bitbank (Global)” to its alert list. The SFC said LonShiX claims to be located in Hong Kong, but the address on its website is fake, adding that it has persuaded people to invest money with it by “falsely claiming to be investment professionals authorised by banks on social media platforms and instant messaging apps”. Bitbank (Global), the SFC said, has adopted a name that is very similar to that of a crypto exchange based in Japan, but the two are not linked and the platform is suspected of spreading misleading information about its business as well as its licence status. The watchdog added that at its request, the police have taken steps to block access to the websites of the two suspicious platforms, as well as their relevant X accounts. The SFC again warned the public to be cautious about “too-good-to-be-true” investment opportunities. Other platforms have recently been added to the SFC's alert list, with such suspected fraud in the spotlight since the JPEX scandal in September, where more than 2,600 people allegedly lost over HK$1.61 billion between them.