Warning over ‘National Hong Kong Coin’ claims spread by fake John Lee account
‘The government strongly condemn those pretending to be the city leader for spreading fake information,’ spokesman says
Authorities have warned against online claims about the “launch of the National Hong Kong Coin” published on an account impersonating Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu.
A spokesman for the government said on Thursday that the claims were “false and deceptive”, urging residents to exercise caution and stay vigilant against scams.
“The government strongly condemns those pretending to be the city leader for spreading fake information,” the spokesman said, adding the case had been referred to police for further investigation.
The false claim of the “launch of the National Hong Kong Coin” recently appeared on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The first post about the coin was published at around 3am on Thursday on an account under the name of “JohnLeeKa_Chiu”, saying the launch would mark a new era in digital innovation and economic growth for Hong Kong.
The post received more than 123,000 views and was reposted over 130 times by 2pm.
The user also mentioned the launch of the coin in dozens of replies to others’ posts, including OpenAI, US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and other internet personalities.