These sophisticated fabrications will be used to impersonate acquaintances, corporate leaders, and public officials in order to carry out fraudulent activities.

According to projections by the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA), cybersecurity for individual users in 2026 is expected to face new challenges, most notably the growing sophistication of online scams.

Cybercriminals use deepfake technology to generate fake images, videos, and voices with very high levels of authenticity. Such fake content may be used to impersonate acquaintances, agency leaders, public officials, or representatives of financial institutions and banks, making it very difficult for the public to distinguish between real and fake.

At the same time, malware targeting individual users will remain a common threat. With the rapid development of AI, creating new malware variants has become easier, allowing cybercriminals to automate distribution, evade traditional security tools, and carry out targeted attacks against specific user groups.

The year 2026 is expected to record improvements in personal data protection as new legal regulations, such as the Law on Personal Data Protection and the 2025 Cybersecurity Law, take effect.

Organizations and businesses will have to heighten their responsibility and invest in cybersecurity commensurate with their activities of collecting, storing, and processing user data.

However, experts warn that the volume of personal data previously exposed will still be exploited by criminal gangs to continue attacking users.

Improving awareness and digital skills among citizens, alongside improving the legal corridor and personal data protection capacity, will continue to be the key factor in minimizing cybersecurity risks.

According to a survey by the National Cybersecurity Association, the number of victims of online fraud in 2025 decreased significantly compared to 2024.

The survey was conducted online on the Association's platforms from December 1, 2025, to the end of December 18, 2025, with the participation of 60,300 individual users nationwide.

For every 555 users participating in the survey, one person reported being a victim of fraud, equivalent to a rate of 0.18 percent.

Meanwhile, in 2024, this figure was approximately 1 in every 220 people defrauded, a rate of 0.45 percent. This is a positive shift, marking the first time in many years that online fraud has recorded a decrease.

Regarding fraud methods, the 2025 survey shows that criminals still mainly used familiar scenarios such as impersonating agencies and organizations, fake prize winnings, fake delivery personnel, fake acquaintances, making romantic connections, or inviting financial investment. 

Impersonation of police officers emerged as the most common scam method in 2025.

Perpetrators fabricated scenarios accusing users of being involved in criminal cases and demanded that they stay in contact to exert psychological pressure. They then required victims to “transfer money to prove innocence” or install software allegedly “serving the investigation” in order to appropriate assets.

Scams involving fake prize or gift notifications ranked second in terms of prevalence.

Meanwhile, high-return investment solicitations fell to third place, indicating that the public has become more cautious toward promises of quick wealth that surged in the previous year.

Vu Ngoc Son, Head of the Technology Department of the Association, said: “Online fraud is still extremely complex; users need to continue raising their vigilance.

“Criminals will seek ways to apply new technology, even testing new maneuvers and forms to bypass anti-fraud measures; the risk to users remains constant in cyberspace.”

According to the latest statistics from the Ministry of Public Security, in the first 11 months of 2025, damages caused by online fraud crimes remained at a very high level, estimated at over VND6,000 billion.

However, experts warn that forms of cyberattacks are constantly changing and becoming increasingly sophisticated.

A point that remains concerning is that the habit of reporting when encountering fraud among citizens has not improved. 

Only 32 percent of victims surveyed said they reported the incident to the authorities.

The vast majority of the rest only warned relatives and friends, and 12 percent accepted losing their money without taking any further action. 

Experts assess this as one of the major barriers in the work of preventing and combatting fraud, because failing to report leaves the authorities lacking the data to investigate, handle, and provide early warnings to the community.

Thai Khang