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Privacy Policy
1. General
1.1 The content of the “Scameter+ Mobile Application” (the “Application”) is provided and managed by the Hong Kong Police Force (“HKPF”, “we”, “our” or “us”). HKPF respects the right to Personal Data privacy and is committed to complying with requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) of the Laws of Hong Kong (“PDPO”).
1.2 This “Privacy Policy” (the “Policy”) sets out in detail our policy and practices as to how your Personal Data will be handled in compliance with the requirements of the PDPO. By accessing the Application and by the provision of your Personal Data, you are agreeing to this Privacy Policy, and accept and agree to be bound by the same. However, you understand that if you fail to provide certain information as required, you may not be able to access or use some parts of the Application, and some features of the Application may not function properly or be made available to you.
1.3 This Policy may be revised from time to time and any such revisions will be posted on the Application. We will not send individual notices to you and we encourage you to keep yourself updated of the changes posted on the Application.
1.4 In the event that there is any inconsistency between the English and Chinese version of the Policy, the English version shall prevail.
2. Collection and Use of Personal Data
2.1 The Application has four main features, namely the “Scameter Search Engine”, “Call Alert”, “Website Detection” and “Public Intelligence”. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and we only collect and store the data necessary for the Application to function.
2.2 The Scameter Search Engine helps you identify frauds and online pitfalls. When encountering suspicious calls, online sellers, friend requests, job ads and investment websites, etc., you can enter the platform account name or number, payment account, phone number, email address and URL, etc. into the search engine to instantly assess the risk of fraud and cyber security.
2.3 The Call Alert intermittently pushes the latest scam database to your mobile device every day. It automatically compares incoming calls against records in the database and issues real-time alerts if potential scam or cyber security risk is detected. Notwithstanding, you still have the option to choose whether to answer the call. To ensure this feature works properly, certain permissions are requested for providing caller identification functionality. To safeguard your privacy, the entire comparison process takes place only within your device, and your Personal Data, including call records, is not saved or transferred elsewhere.
2.4 The Website Detection intermittently pushes the latest scam database to your mobile device every day. It automatically compares the websites you visit against records in the database. If potential scam or cyber security risk is detected, you will receive real-time notifications advising you not to visit the websites concerned. To ensure this feature works properly, certain permissions are requested for providing website identification functionality. To safeguard your privacy, the entire comparison process takes place only within your device, and your Personal Data, including browsing history, is not saved or transferred elsewhere.
2.5 For the Public Intelligence feature, if you come across suspicious websites or phone numbers, share them instantly through this feature. The information you provide might be added to the scam database after our analysis, and accessible to all users who use the “Scameter Search Engine”, “Call Alert” and “Website Detection” features. This collective effort aims to reduce the risk of scams for everyone. To facilitate our intelligence evaluation, a one-off phone number verification through SMS one-time password (OTP) is required. You can be rest assured that we do not save your phone number. While sharing your scam intelligence with us, you may voluntarily provide screenshots to support your report and help us evaluate the intelligence.
2.6 The information displayed on the Application is solely for the purpose of prevention or detection of crime. If you consider any information (including your Personal Data) has been inappropriately labeled, please contact us a [email protected].
2.7 When you use the Application, we may keep an activity log that does not identify you individually and cannot be used to determine the identity of any particular user. We do not use and have no intention to use the information to personally identify anyone. Generally, we collect and store the following information:
(a) Information about your device that you use to access the Application. The information may include the device ID, Internet Protocol (IP) address, operating system, the mobile Internet browser you use and other identifiers of the device, etc; and
(b) Information about your use of the Application including but not limited to the click and search records, cookies, error and crash logs, diagnostics, application performance data and session statistics, etc.
2.8 Personal Data held by us are used for the following purposes for which the data are collected or for directly related purposes. We do not use the Personal Data we hold for a new purpose or disclose / transfer the Personal Data to a third party, unless with the data subjects’ consent or such use or transfer is permitted or required by law.
(a) For displaying information on the Application for the purpose of prevention or detection of crime;
(b) For providing the Application service;
(c) For verifying your phone number in the Application;
(d) For analyzing scam intelligence shared via the Application;
(e) For evaluating and maintaining the Application service;
(f) For improving and enhancing the Application service;
(g) For measuring and further developing the Application and / or its content;
(h) For undertaking research and statistical analysis;
(i) For processing your enquiries or feedback;
(j) For shooting of technical issues related to the Application;
(k) For performing data security works related to the Application;
(l) For complying with the obligations, requirements or arrangements for disclosing and using Personal Data that apply to us;
(m) For any other purposes as specified at the time of collection of your Personal Data.
2.9 The provision of the above data is generally on a voluntary basis. However, if you do not provide sufficient information to us, we may be unable to provide the specific services in full to you.
3. Security of Personal Data
3.1 We treat security as our top priority. We take practicable steps to protect the Personal Data we hold against loss, unauthorized or accidental access, use, processing, erasure, modification or disclosure. Encryption is used to protect Personal Data transmitted online.
4. Data Sharing and Transfer of Personal Data
4.1 To safeguard your information, we transform your Personal Data into “anonymous statistical analysis information”. This ensures that the resulting data cannot be linked to identify any person. The data you use, search, or access is identified and logged in the same manner for analysis.
4.2 We securely share the “anonymous statistical analysis information”, along with “non-identifiable data” and logs, with third parties (whether within or outside Hong Kong) that assist the HKPF with technical support or have business collaborations. These parties may include but not limited to network system contractors, service providers, data processing companies and auditors for the purposes set out in the above.
4.3 We do not share with any third party your Personal Data which has not yet been separated and encrypted for any purposes, unless the third party is required to process the Personal Data specific to the service you have already agreed upon, such as but not limited to the OTP system service. We demand that the service provider should undertake and warrant in writing that it does not use the Personal Data accessed or contacted by them without permission or against laws, or for any other purposes.
4.4 Additionally, Personal Data may be disclosed to any Government or non-government authorities and/or regulators, to the extent we may be required to do so by laws.
5. Retention of Personal Data
5.1 We take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that Personal Data will not be kept longer than is necessary for the fulfillment of the purposes (or any directly related purpose) for which the data is or is to be used, unless the retention is otherwise permitted or required by law.
6. Your Rights
6.1 We care about your user experience. You may exercise discretion to turn off any or all of the Application features on your device. By doing so, you acknowledge that your user experience will be affected and the Application may not function as intended.
7. Link to Other Websites
7.1 Upon browsing certain information of the Application, you may be connected to other websites on which you may be required to provide certain information. You are advised to read through the privacy policies of these websites to understand respective practices in relation to Personal Data.
8. Fake Applications
8.1 We prioritize the protection of your Personal Data, especially in the context of ID theft and “Fake Applications”. We want to assure you that we will never request sensitive information such as your credit card or bank account details, password, identity documents, or equivalent identifiable codes through an unsafe or unknown email, phone number, or “Fake Application”, both now and in the future. If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please feel free to email us at [email protected].
9. Access and Correction of Personal Data
9.1 You have the right to request access to and correction of your personal data held by us in accordance with the provisions of the PDPO. Any enquiries regarding Personal Data, or requests for access to or correction of Personal Data, can be made to the Formation Data Administrator of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau in writing by post or email. HKPF may at its discretion charge administrative fees for photocopying.
Address: Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau , 22/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Email: [email protected]
