AFRO e-News (2020.10)

AFRO Broadcasting Station: Do not let others sign up for e-wallet and/or mobile banking for you

In recent years, mobile shopping and electronic payments have become more and more popular. In order to facilitate the collection of payments from clients, fellow sisters may sign up for multiple electronic wallets and mobile banking applications. Sometimes fellow sisters may ask their clients for assistance when installing and signing up for the applications, especially when they have not installed the ones as proposed by the clients.

Recently, we heard from a few fellow sisters that their clients took the initiative to help them install the apps, but after that secretly transferred large amount or even all of the money in fellow sisters' accounts to their own accounts. In one case, the amount involved was as high as HK$1 million.

It is for sure that the fellow sisters have the rights to report to the police and there is a chance that the bad guys will be brought to justice. However, since usually there are only the fellow sister and the client when the crime happens, it can be difficult to prove whether it was with the fellow sister's consent that the money was transferred to the other party. If the other party distributed the money to a few different accounts, it will make the fraud even more difficult to detect.

It is indeed shameful that the clients make use of fellow sisters' trust in them. AFRO would like to once again remind fellow sisters not to lay hands on others in financial matters. The process of applying for e-wallet and mobile banking applications generally involves a lot of personal information, including ID number, phone number, bank account number and password, etc. Even if it is a regular client or a friend, you still should not disclose this information casually. With this information, the other party can easily conduct online fraud. If you don't have the e-wallet proposed by the client, you can just accompany him to the nearby ATM to withdraw money, or  just refuse the transaction, so as to avoid the possible loss.

Acknowledgment: Jockey Club Community Sustainability Fund – Walking Together through Adversity Project

Funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club, AFRO has launched a 9-month project -- Jockey Club Community Sustainability Fund – Walking Together through Adversity Project.

The project is to address the needs of female sex workers for mental health related services. AFRO understands that female sex workers have to deal with stress that come from work, health, family and interpersonal relationships etc., and that are even amplified recently because of the COVID-19. AFRO is deeply grateful to the Jockey Club for its support and will carry out a series of mental health support services, hoping that fellow sex workers in need can feel cared about and empowered, and together walk through the unpredictable adversity.

Acknowledgment: Sir Robert Hotung Charitable Fund

Funded by the Sir Robert Hotung Charitable Fund, the replacement of the suspended ceiling and lighting system of AFRO’s drop-in centre was successfully completed at the end of August this year. AFRO would like to take this chance to express its sincere gratitude to the Sir Robert Hotung Charitable Fund for its support.

AFRO's News Reading

Coronavirus: 1 in 10 students consider sex work in a financial emergency

(Yahoo Finance UK 2020.09.09)

The coronavirus pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on businesses, jobs, and the economy. But students and young people in particular are also some of the worst hit economically with casual work and the gig economy being heavily effected.

The huge uncertainty over their financial futures has led to students revealing that they would consider doing sex work to earn more cash, according to a survey by Save The Student... (Read more)

AFRO's comments:

Amid the COVID 19 pandemic, people from all walks of life are constantly struggling to survive a layoff and keep the job. Among all industries, the situation of sex workers is particularly difficult. They are in a gray area of employment. Not only are they unable to obtain government subsidies, but they also have to bear others’ peculiar look. The work situation is even more difficult than we can imagine.

Although poverty is indeed one of the reasons why sex workers enter the industry, there are also people who join the industry because of their interests and hobbies. Hong Kong people's attitude towards sex is generally speaking conservative, and they often associate "sex work" with "poverty", or label sex workers as unclean and not respecting one-self.

Sex trade that takes place in a one-sex worker apartment is basically not illegal, and the sexual service transaction is based on the wish of the sex worker and the client. No matter why a sex worker chose to enter the sex industry, s/he is just like you and me, and deserves to be respected.