Hong Kong's Environmental Protection Department has warned the public about a circulating publicity poster advertising a recycling subsidy scheme that it says was falsely presented as a joint project between an enterprise and the department. The poster promoted subsidies for recycling under the name "Renewable Resource Recovery Incentive Scheme."

In a statement issued on November 9, the department said it has never jointly launched any project with that name with any organisation, and has not authorised any individual or entity to use its name and logo for such publicity. It said a review found the department's logo and the related enterprise's logo on the poster to be false, and that the case has been reported to the Police.

A department spokesperson urged the public not to trust posters, links or messaging software from unknown sources and not to take part in suspicious recycling subsidy activities. People should also avoid disclosing personal data or financial information to unknown sources, the spokesperson said. Anyone who has provided personal information or carried out transactions connected to the fraudulent scheme is advised to contact the Police as soon as possible.