Medical organizations notify authorities about suspected counterfeit documents that use physicians’ information to justify early retirement due to health reasons.
The Hong Kong Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority (MPFA) is increasing its measures to identify fake certificates that are being used for early withdrawal of pension funds, following recent reports from two medical organizations to the police about suspected cases.
In response to a query from the South China Morning Post, an official representative stated that their online system had recently detected potential fraud related to possibly counterfeit medical certificates used to withdraw Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) contributions.
“The MPFA is seriously worried about the misuse of fake medical certificates to illegally access MPF funds early and is working with medical associations to better prevent fraudulent document creation,” he stated.
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According to the law, workers are allowed to access their pension funds prior to turning 65 in specific situations, such as early retirement, permanent relocation out of Hong Kong, complete inability to work, and a terminal illness with a projected lifespan of less than one year.
A person with knowledge of the situation told the SCMP that two medical organizations alerted the police on May 9 and 10, following the discovery that doctors’ details had been utilized without permission in documents justifying MPF withdrawals due to permanent disability.
“According to initial findings, the case has been categorized as the use of fraudulent tools and referred to the criminal investigation unit of the Central police district for further action,” the insider mentioned.
No one has been arrested yet.
Nevertheless, the extent of the alleged fraud could include over a dozen physicians throughout the city, according to information obtained by the SCMP.
A local medical group stated that another employee became a target of the alleged scam, while another physician whose information was exploited mentioned she was aware of approximately seven other professionals impacted, with two others receiving several suspected fraudulent documents.
Oncologist Teresa Tse, who practices privately, mentioned she got a letter from the eMPF platform, which manages pension administration, requesting her to confirm her signature and clinic stamp on a censored application for early withdrawal due to a terminal illness.
Tse expressed surprise at seeing her name and clinic address written clearly in an unfamiliar but neat script, along with a signature and a circular seal that didn’t look like hers. The document was dated March 9.
“Typically, when private physicians issue a card, in addition to our name and specialty, we also list our educational background,” she said.
But this one was clearly fake, like a circular stamp used for receipts. It says ‘Dr Teresa Tse’ and my Chinese name on it.
She mentioned that a colleague had obtained three censored documents from the eMPF system for review, all of which seemed to be fake.
Following the issue being highlighted in a physician messaging group, Tse discovered that at least six others—such as oncologists, internal medicine doctors, and orthopedic specialists—had also received similar verification requests, only to find out their professional information had been misused.
“As a physician, my primary worry is individuals misusing our name to engage in unlawful actions,” she stated.
Surgeon Samuel Kwok Po-yin, a director at Virtus Medical, informed the SCMP that six physicians associated with the organization had been impacted. Their information was misused on applications for early MPF withdrawals based on permanent disability.
The team informed the authorities about the issue.
Kwok mentioned that the matter became apparent following the MPFA reaching out to physicians to confirm their signatures and seals. The individuals impacted consist of gastroenterologists, nephrologists, and respiratory medicine experts.
In October of last year, authorities detained 16 individuals for employing middlemen to create fake medical documents in an effort to access pension funds based on claims of terminal illness or long-term disability. The total amount involved was believed to surpass HK$4 million (US$510,700).
Kwok requested the MPFA to examine its exit protocols and enhance protective measures.
He cautioned that these situations might impact a physician’s license if a complaint triggered an inquiry by the Medical Council. He recommended that the regulatory body examine if a signature was adequate for verification and implement direct confirmations with medical professionals.
Tse mentioned that the letter marked the first instance she had received a verification request from the eMPF platform. She further stated that other medical certificates, like those used for insurance claims, usually needed comprehensive details about a patient’s health status and treatment.
Lawyer Eric Chan Pak-ho mentioned that the MPFA might use a crime detection exception under Hong Kong’s privacy regulations to obtain pertinent information and evidence from medical professionals concerning alleged fraudulent certificates.
Besides investigations, the authority might request more comprehensive details on application forms, he mentioned.
“The MPFA may ask the doctors to submit more detailed medical reports that outline the medical conditions thoroughly, along with the medical notes recorded by the doctors during the consultation,” Chan stated.
According to Hong Kong legislation, the highest punishment for creating or utilizing fake documents is a 14-year prison sentence.
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This piece was first published in the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a top news outlet covering China and Asia.
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