MTR says 'free annual pass' offer is fake

 

A copy of the fake 'annual pass' with QR code (from MTRC)

The MTR Corporation has warned of a suspected scam involving offers of free MTR complimentary annual passes, saying the messages being sent out through social media did not come from them.

According to the MTR, it has received reports of messages being sent out to various people on social media, claiming that the company would be sending them free annual passes through the post, and that the recipients should scan a QR code to activate them.

DETALYE

A copy of the purported offer from MTR says, “Congratulations! You have won an MTR Annual Pass" in both Chinese and English, with a QR code printed on the back of it.

The MTR said that although it has given away about 400 annual passes in two lucky draws recently, it has not asked winners to scan a QR code to activate them, nor were they sent through post.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

In January this year, the MTR gave away 388 annual passes to some lucky app users in in a lucky draw and in July, 26 more annual passes were also given away through lottery in celebration of the 26^th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The MTR has filed a complaint with the police over the apparent scam, and warned the public that their personal information could be obtained by criminal syndicates if they scanned the QR code on the fake annual passes as instructed.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The Anti-Deception Coordination Centre has warned the public not to open click or open any unknown hyperlinks and attachments including those found in emails, instant messages, SMS or QR codes.

Anyone who suspects they have been deceived into disclosing their personal details should report to the police immediately. 

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Ex-DH pleads guilty to overstaying, avoids jail

 

 A Filipina who overstayed her visa by a month and a half and sought asylum in Hong Kong, barely avoided being jailed today after she pleaded guilty at Shatin Court to violating the Immigration Ordinance.

Marylene Chavez, 49 years old and former domestic helper, was meted a suspended sentence of six days in jail for breach of condition of stay.

But since Magistrate David Chum suspended the sentence for the next 12 months, Chavez would not see the inside of a prison cell if she does not commit any offense during the period.

DETALYE

Her duty lawyer said Chavez, who is separated and has three children in the Philippines, had worked in Hong Kong as a domestic helper for nine years before she was terminated because she had become sickly.

She tried to find a new employer but ran out the two weeks allowed her after being terminated.

Having overstayed, she applied for asylum and sought to prevent the Hong Kong government from forcibly sending her home.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

However, she eventually decided to drop her asylum claim and pleaded guilty so she can go home.

This was not what another Filipina, Marina Irene Benamer, 54 years old, chose to do.

Her lawyer asked Magistrate Chum for an adjournment to await the result of her appeal for the High Court to reverse the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board (TCAB) that rejected her application for asylum.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Chum scheduled the next hearing for April 16 next year, and released her on a bail of $500.

Benamer is charged with breach of condition of stay for having overstayed in Hong Kong for almost four years.

She arrived in Hong Kong as a tourist and was allowed to stay until March 15, 2017 but she did not leave as required, until she was arrested on Jan. 5, 2021.

Pindutin para sa detalye

She has since applied for asylum, but has been rejected by the Immigration Department and then the (TCAB) and is pinning her hopes on the High Court.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Credit cards, e-wallets can be used at MTR stations from Dec 23

 

The Central MTR station is among those to be outfitted with the new payment mode from Dec 23

Forgot your Octopus card at home, or failed to top it up before trying to get a ride on the MTR?

Fret not, because MTR passengers should be able to pay their fare by tapping their contactless credit or debit cards or mobile e-wallets at the gate from December 23.

But here’s the catch: Only Visa cards can be used initially to enter the MTR gates initially, while other bank cards will be given access by the third quarter of next year.

DETALYE

For easy identification, the entry and exit gates with the new payment service at all MTR stations will be wrapped in light-blue color, with a signage. Most stations will have two of such gates initially, while those that tourists tend to frequent like Central, Admiralty and Tsim Sha Tsui will have more.

Another point to note is that the new payment system will charge fares based on adult fares, meaning concessionary tickets holders such as the elderly, persons with disabilities and children will not be able to get their usual discount, as well as those eligible for the transport fare subsidy.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

MTRC said the new contactless bank card payment service is primarily aimed at making travel easier for tourists, noting that Visa credit cards have been used for transport payment in many overseas places.

The MTR said it hopes to expand the new service in the third quarter of next year, with more entry and exit gates being opened, and more cards given access.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Meanwhile, credit card payments for taking the Airport Express is expected to be in place by 2026.

Currently, passengers can buy Airport Express tickets using their credit cards at customer service counters or at ticket machines, but they cannot use them to enter the gates directly. 

Pindutin para sa detalye

In comparison, passengers on the tram and some selected bus routes are already able to pay their fares using their Visa cards. For those who take the tram, a $1 discount is even offered for those who opt to pay by Visa instead of cash or Octopus.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Filipina gets stiff penalty for illegal work

 

Immigration offiers escort suspected illegal worker arrested during an operation.

The government today underlined its intent to stop illegal work by imposing a stiff prison sentence on a Filipina asylum seeker who had overstayed her domestic helper visa by three years when she was arrested while working in an Indian restaurant last month.

Ailyna Plasos, 38 years old, pleaded guilty to the charge of taking employment while remaining in Hong Kong in breach of her limit of stay -- a violation of the Immigration Ordinance.

DETALYE

Magistrate David Chum imposed on her the usual penalty of 16 months in jail.

But instead of giving a one-third discount for the guilty plea, which would be at least five months, Magistrate Chum gave her a discount of just two months, for a final sentence of 14 months.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

He largely ignored her duty lawyer’s appeal for leniency, saying her guilty plea resulted in the court saving time in prosecuting the case because a hearing scheduled for Jan. 5 would no longer be needed.

Plasos was arrested last Nov. 22 in one of the three raids conducted by the Immigration Department in Kwun Tong. Arrested with her in the operations last Nov. 21-23 were four others who were found working in Hung Hom and Kowloon City.

Pindutin para sa detalye

She was caught serving customers in an Indian restaurant, as well as doing other chores such as accepting payments and cooking.

Her lawyer said that she did not know that as an asylum seeker, she was entitled to an allowance for food and rent from the government and so had to fend for herself, working in odd jobs to avoid getting hungry.

Pindutin para sa detalye

When she passed by the restaurant and saw a sign that it was hiring, she applied and was accepted, her lawyer said.

Plasos arrived in Hong Kong in 2014 and worked as a domestic helper for six years. When her contract ended in 2020, she failed to find a new employer but stayed on. 

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Migrant workers warned anew against cross-country work

 

Cacdac issuing the warning in a live video posted on DMW's Facebook page

No less than the officer-in-charge of the Department of Migrant Workers has taken to posting a video on Facebook to warn overseas Filipino workers from taking up jobs in countries other than where they were issued an employment visa, or what is more popularly known as cross-country work.

OIC Hans Cacdac made the warning in a live post on the DMW Facebook page yesterday, saying he will soon be issuing a formal directive against the practice of third country hiring.

In particular, he mentioned the cases of OFWs who were issued work visas in Saudi Arabia, but after taking a vacation in the Philippines, pass by Dubai, Arab Emirates where they get off and try their luck finding employment there.

DETALYE

In many cases, he said the workers end up being distressed, and forced to seek shelter at DMW-run facilities in Dubai. Cacdac said this is why they should not take the risk of going there and try to look for employment while on a tourist or visitor’s visa.

According to the accompanying caption of his video, such practice also poses serious risks for OFWs who “are lured by promises of better employment but often end up as victims of illegal recruitment and human trafficking syndicates.”

But not only Saudi-bound OFWs end up taking their chances in Dubai, where even tourists are able to secure employment visas if they get lucky enough to find employers willing to sign them up. 

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Many OFWs in Hong Kong who are forced to exit the city when their contracts are terminated prematurely choose to go to Dubai instead of back to their hometowns in the Philippines, knowing that they will have to shell out money again and wait for at least six weeks before they could come and work here again.

One of them was MJ, who decided to take the plunge last month after being forced to terminate her contract when her Hong Kong employer wrongly accused her of theft. As she had a sister who was already in Dubai, MJ decided to fly there instead of using the return air ticket paid for by her employer 

MJ was among the lucky few who immediately found work as a caregiver through an agency she was referred to. She said her current employer is kind, and her work mostly involves looking after a young kid.

Pindutin para sa detalye

As for those who end up getting stuck in the affluent city with no money or work, she said they probably cast their lot with rogue agencies which unfortunately, outnumber those who provide good service now because of the surge in demand.

But Dubai is not the only destination of choice for many OFWs, particularly those who used to work in Hong Kong. Quite a number have moved to places such as Poland, the Netherlands and Finland, attracted by the higher salary and a job upgrade.

Pindutin para sa detalye

The downside is, they go there at their own risk as they are not covered by any bilateral agreement between the Philippines and their host country, which would protect their rights and ensure they don’t end up being exploited or trafficked.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Seniors may book online for new Covid vaccine from today

Seniors get top priority for the new XBB Covid-19 vaccines

 Starting at 9am today, Wednesday, elderly residents or those aged 65 and above can make an online booking to receive XBB mRNA vaccine against Covid-19 at private clinics, community vaccination stations or designated outpatient clinics or elderly health centres under the Hospital Authority.

The vaccination can be done starting tomorrow, Dec. 14.

DETALYE

The booking may be done through this dedicated website: booking.covidvaccine.gov.hk/forms/index.jsp

The government said in a statement that the latest vaccination arrangement is aimed at providing better protection for high-risk groups and for Covid-19 being managed gradually as a type of upper respiratory tract infections.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

The vaccination will start following the arrival of 100,000 doses of XBB mRNA vaccines (Comirnaty Omicron XBB.1.5 30mcg/dose) in Hong Kong earlier. Another batch of about 100,000 doses of XBB mRNA vaccines (Spikevax XBB.1.5 0.1 mg/mL) from another manufacturer will also arrive in Hong Kong soon. Scientific data shows that the efficacy and safety profile of the two vaccines are similar.

However, people may still opt to receive inactivated vaccines (CoronaVac/Sinovac).

Pindutin para sa detalye

Experts advising the government on its vaccination program have recommended that the following can receive an additional Covid-19 vaccine booster for free regardless of the number of vaccine doses they received earlier. But they should get the booster at least six months after the last dose, or recovery from Covid-19 infection:

-          people aged 50 and above, including those in residential care homes,

-          adults aged 18 to 49 years with underlying comorbidities,

-          persons aged 6 months or above and with immunocompromising conditions,

-          pregnant women and healthcare workers)

Pindutin para sa detalye

Those aged 65 and above get top priority for the XBB vaccine, while the start of the second phase to include the other vulnerable groups will  be announced by the government in due course.

As before, the experts recommend that people receive both the Covid-19 and seasonal flu vaccines to guard against a possible upsurge in the number of infections during the winter season.

They also say that all currently available Covid-19 vaccines are effective in preventing severe disease. Thus, persons aged below 65 should receive any available Covid-19 vaccine as soon as possible instead of waiting for the XBB vaccines.

Details of the Covid-19 vaccination program can be found at the Centre for Health Protection’s website - www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/106934.html.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Case of indecent assault of 10-year-old Filipino girl postponed anew

 

The case is being heard at the District Court in Wanchai

Four Filipinos and one Bangladeshi accused of indecently assaulting a young girl were returned to jail earlier today, Dec. 12, after their case was adjourned to Feb. 29 next year.

That would be more than a year since the accused – Jimwoel Macaraig, 53; Julie Arcega, 32; Gina Villanueva; Benjur Macaraig, 46; and MD Moazzim-hossain, 42 years old, were arrested after the incident which allegedly happened inside a flat on Kung Om Road in Yuen Long last Jan. 3

DETALYE

Judge Pang Chung Ping grudgingly allowed the request by counsel for one of the defendants for the case to be postponed anew, reminding them that the alleged victim in the case is just 10 years old.

“There is a child witness here, the trial should be set down as soon as possible,” said Judge Pang.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

But when he asked the prosecution to respond to the motion to adjourn the case anew, she said she had no objection.

Counsel for the first defendant asked for the postponement, saying they had been given a copy of the video relevant to the case only this morning, and they did not even get the chance to watch or review it.

Pindutin para sa detalye

She also said there were additional documents that they needed to review in preparation for a possible trial.

In an earlier hearing of the case, all the defendants indicated they would plead not guilty to the charge, claiming they were not at the scene where the alleged indecent assault on the girl took place.

Pindutin para sa detalye

It also was also revealed that all those involved in the case were neighbors in Tuen Mun, and that the girl’s parents were friends with the accused. She was alone in the flat when the alleged indecent assault happened.

It also emerged that accused B Macaraig faces an additional charge of wounding the child, and had three past criminal records. The prosecutor said that in addition, he had jumped bail in an immigration case.

During earlier hearings at Tuen Mun Court, all the defendants applied for bail but were rejected. At the District Court no one renewed the application for bail.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS

Temperature forecast to fall to 12 degrees on Sunday

 

Victoria Harbour, as seen from Victoria Peak (HKO photo)

The cold mornings Hong Kong has been waking up to over the past several weeks will feel warm when compared to Saturday, when freezing winds from the northeast are expected to arrive, bringing local temperatures down to as low as 14 degress Celsius.

The Hong Kong Observatory expects the temperature to fall even lower to 12 degrees C -- one or two degrees colder in the New Territories -- on Sunday morning and persist for the rest of the week.

DETALYE

This will be the coldest weekend so far in the current winter season.

The expected cold snap will be in contrast to today’s weather forecast, which sees fine and rather warm weather, with noon temperature hovering at 27C at mornings at 23C, lasting until Friday.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

With the approach of the cold winds from the north, the weather is expected to be cloudier, with winds from the north expected to strengthen, resulting in the creeping cold being felt during the day on Saturday.

However, the temperature is expected to start rising again after this weekend as the cold winds pass, and a new wave of the warmer northeast monsoon flows into southern China, which includes Hong Kong.

Pindutin para sa detalye

Worth watching is the expected decline in relative humidity from today’s 70-90 per cent, to 60-90 on Saturday and 55-85 per cent on Sunday.

The dry atmosphere will also persist for most of next week.

Pindutin para sa detalye

This could result in people not only needing to stay warm but to watch out for dry and itchy skin, as well as dandruff and winter itch.

PADALA NA!

PRESS FOR DETAILS