Mainland clients open accounts with fake documents; Hong Kong securities regulator urges brokers to verify

May 23, 2026

Mainland clients using fake documents to open accounts, Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission urges broker verification

======================================================

Enlarge image / Show original image

The Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission has issued a circular to the industry, revealing that it recently reviewed the account opening procedures of 12 licensed brokers, discovering that some brokers accept suspicious or forged documents during the account opening process, most of which involve Mainland investors. In the most serious cases, more than half of the accounts randomly checked were found to have used fake documents. The SFC now requires brokers to implement a series of additional measures when opening and managing Mainland client accounts. Request to delete zero-balance zombie accounts The SFC requires licensed corporations to ...

(Excerpt)