Caution has been urged over emails purporting to be sent from the US Bank. It is believed they may be used to trick consumers into revealing sensitive account information.

The Monetary Authority has received reports from people who were sent these emails that asked recipients to click on a hyperlink to verify their account information.

The US Bank is an American bank which has no branch or office in Hong Kong. The authority has confirmed the bank has not issued the emails and is investigating the case.

The authority said if people receive emailed requests to disclose their sensitive account information (such as PIN numbers and passwords) they should contact their banks immediately.

Consumers are advised not to access their Internet banking accounts through hyperlinks embedded in emails or Internet search engines. They should access their Internet banking accounts by keying in the website addresses at the address bar of the browser, or by bookmarking the genuine website.