Hong Kong’s newest anti-scam technology is over-the-counter banking

Hong Kong’s Monetary Authority introduced “Money Safe” accounts in late 2024 to combat rising scams by requiring customers to visit a branch (or digital bank office) for face-to-face anti-scam verification before accessing protected deposits; all banks have implemented the feature—some enabling in-app setup—and the government is promoting adoption amid persistent phishing campaigns and fake bank websites targeting the financial sector.