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Shopping & payments

Fake refund-service calls

A fake merchant representative uses order details to request transfers or account access for a refund.

See response steps Share this in a workshop
A person holding a payment card beside a laptop

If you have one minute

Pause, then verify independently.

Refund requires upfront payment

Before paying

Check the order in the original platform

See verification steps →

If you paid or shared details

End the call and screen sharing

See response steps →

Start with these three signs

  • Refund requires upfront payment
  • Asks you to share a banking screen
  • Moves processing away from the order

How the situation unfolds

  1. Contact

    Calls or messages after a purchase.

  2. The lure

    A product problem qualifies you for an immediate refund.

  3. The demand and outcome

    The supposed refund becomes code sharing, scanning, or a deposit that authorises a charge.

Verify these things before paying

  1. Check the order in the original platform
  2. Find official support yourself
  3. Do not give callers verification codes

Already engaged or paid?

  1. End the call and screen sharing
  2. Ask your bank to check transactions
  3. Report the impersonator to the platform

Contact your payment provider and local police promptly. The responsible institution must confirm whether a payment can be stopped, disputed or returned.

Keep these records

Original order
Caller number
Refund instructions
Actual charges

Keep originals and organise working copies. Never give strangers verification codes, banking passwords, private keys or seed phrases.

Original references

  • Hong Kong Police Anti-Deception Coordination CentrePublisher location：Hong Kong, China · Simplified ChineseOpen the original reference ↗https://www.adcc.gov.hk/zh-cn/alerts-detail/alerts-2090597267025596417.html
  • Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Publisher location：United States · EnglishOpen the original reference ↗https://consumer.ftc.gov/features/pass-it-on/impersonator-scams/business-impersonator-scams

This page summarises public prevention guidance to help recognise methods. It is not an enforcement conclusion about a particular incident. Check the source page for its original title. Procedures and reporting routes vary by jurisdiction. Compiled October 2026.

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