Police have shut down a syndicate suspected to have swindled $660,000 from customers of a local bank via bogus email, arresting eight men and three women, aged 21 to 58.

Between September 17 and October 6, 12 customers received similar fraudulent emails purportedly sent by the bank asking them to click on an embedded hyperlink which fact connected them to a fraudulent website.

A screen pop-up then asked them to verify their account information by inputting their Internet banking user name and password.

Police found the bogus website and discovered the fraud emails had been sent worldwide. Accomplices were recruited by the mastermind through ICQ, email and job websites.

They were asked to use their own bank accounts to receive the stolen money from the unauthorised transfers. They were allowed to retain up to 10% of the money as reward, while the remainder was forwarded to other overseas bank accounts by remittance.

Of the arrested, three have been charged with theft. Two will appear in Kowloon City Magistracy on October 18 and December 6, and the other in Eastern Magistracy on November 18. Three others remain in custody, while the remainder have been released on bail.

People should not access Internet banking accounts through hyperlinks embedded in emails or search engines. They should only key in the website address or bookmark the genuine website. Twenty-three bogus bank websites have been found this year.