Info Center

MPFA Chairman Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau published her blog post today (25 May), stating that following the full operation of the eMPF^TM Platform (eMPF), all MPF administration work has been centralized under eMPF. This centralization enhances the overall efficiency of MPF administration and improves the detection of potential fraudulent cases, thus better safeguarding the retirement protection of scheme members.

In her blog post, Mrs Lau noted that during earlier daily vetting processes, the eMPF team identified suspicious cases involving claims for early withdrawal of MPF on the grounds of “terminal illness” or “total incapacity”, submitted together with suspected fraudulent medical certificates. The eMPF team promptly approached the registered medical practitioners concerned and confirmed that those certificates were likely forged. This alerted the doctors concerned at an early stage about the suspected unauthorized use of their identities, enabling them to heighten their vigilance. The team referred the suspected cases they identified to law enforcement agencies for follow-up and rejected the corresponding withdrawal claims. 

Mrs Lau highlighted that the centralization of all MPF administration tasks through eMPF facilitates the identification of potential connections among various claims, particularly those orchestrated by fraud syndicates across multiple MPF schemes. Suspicious cases that were previously difficult to detect can now be identified and addressed at a much earlier stage and more effectively.

To combat fraudulent activities on all fronts, MPFA has implemented a series of measures alongside the launch of eMPF. Over the past year, MPFA has proactively liaised with medical professional bodies in both the public and private sectors to explore ways to improve the verification mechanism for medical certificates, as well as to strengthen requirements regarding their content to reduce the risks of misuse or forgery. Additionally, MPFA, in partnership with the eMPF team, has established a dedicated task force to proactively improve prevention at source by reviewing the verification mechanism for early MPF withdrawal claims, and formulating a series of measures to strengthen prevention and deterrence against suspicious claims through a multi-pronged approach, involving regulation, operation and enforcement which include:

• Providing information on suspicious cases and fraudulent practices previously identified by MPFA and MPF trustees to the eMPF team for reference and analysis, with a view to improving vetting procedures and more effectively curbing unlawful activities; and
• Enhancing the regular scrutiny of cases by the eMPF team, paying close attention to suspicious patterns and connections among claims, and verifying the authenticity of each medical certificate with the relevant registered medical practitioners.

Mrs Lau strongly appealed to scheme members not to break the law or be persuaded by criminals to engage in illegal or improper conduct related to early MPF withdrawals.

For the full version of the article, please visit the MPFA blog. The blog is available in Chinese only.

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25 May 2026