Bribery scam to leak telecom subscriber data smashed
2001-3-2
The ICAC has arrested 18 persons for their alleged involvement in a corruption scam involving staff of telecommunications companies allegedly accepting bribes for disclosing subscribers' personal data to debt collectors and loanshark operators.
The arrestees included two former and four serving staff of Pacific Century CyberWorks-Hongkong Telecom Limited (HKT); and two serving employees of Hutchison Global Crossing (Hutchison), and a contractor staff attached to Hutchison offices.
The remaining nine arrestees were eight suspected loanshark operators and debt collectors, one of whom was a former police constable; and another civilian.
The 18 persons - 16 men and two women - were netted in an operation codenamed “ Snow Prints ” which commenced yesterday.
The ICAC launched an investigation after receiving information and complaints alleging that debt collectors had bribed staff of telecommunication companies to get subscribers’ particulars to facilitate their business.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the debt collectors arrested allegedly obtained subscribers’ particulars through the corrupt assistance of one of the former HKT employees arrested.
The former HKT employee was suspected to act as a middleman for the debt collectors to request assistance from other former and serving staff of HKT and Hutchison.
It was also alleged that two serving HKT employees had been rewarded with different types of advantages for the preferential allocation of favourable telephone numbers.
These telecommunication staff were also suspected to have received about $1,000 which was required for each retrieval of subscribers' data, in particular residential addresses, for the loanshark operators and debt collectors.
It was believed that the data obtained were used by the debt collectors and loanshark operators to conduct their debt collection business.
HKT and Hutchison have provided full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Of the 18 arrestees, 17 are still being detained. One arrestee has been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.
The arrestees included two former and four serving staff of Pacific Century CyberWorks-Hongkong Telecom Limited (HKT); and two serving employees of Hutchison Global Crossing (Hutchison), and a contractor staff attached to Hutchison offices.
The remaining nine arrestees were eight suspected loanshark operators and debt collectors, one of whom was a former police constable; and another civilian.
The 18 persons - 16 men and two women - were netted in an operation codenamed “ Snow Prints ” which commenced yesterday.
The ICAC launched an investigation after receiving information and complaints alleging that debt collectors had bribed staff of telecommunication companies to get subscribers’ particulars to facilitate their business.
ICAC enquiries revealed that the debt collectors arrested allegedly obtained subscribers’ particulars through the corrupt assistance of one of the former HKT employees arrested.
The former HKT employee was suspected to act as a middleman for the debt collectors to request assistance from other former and serving staff of HKT and Hutchison.
It was also alleged that two serving HKT employees had been rewarded with different types of advantages for the preferential allocation of favourable telephone numbers.
These telecommunication staff were also suspected to have received about $1,000 which was required for each retrieval of subscribers' data, in particular residential addresses, for the loanshark operators and debt collectors.
It was believed that the data obtained were used by the debt collectors and loanshark operators to conduct their debt collection business.
HKT and Hutchison have provided full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation.
Of the 18 arrestees, 17 are still being detained. One arrestee has been released on ICAC bail.
Enquiries are continuing.