Hong Kong warns against risks associated with third-party transactions

On 31 May 2019 Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission published a circular to licensed corporations (LCs) and associated entities (AEs) emphasizing the importance of mitigating the risks associated with third-party deposits and payments. The circular states that in recent enforcement cases the procedures and policies used by LCs and AEs, when managing third-party transactions, were sub-standard and not properly enforced. Therefore, the Commission has published an Appendix to assist LCs and AEs, summarizing the policies and procedures for mitigating risks when handling third-party deposits and payments.