At approximately 4:45 PM on November 3, 2025, the Regional Radio Frequency Center I under the Authority of Radio Frequency Management received reports of suspected fake BTS signal activity in Hanoi.

Working swiftly with technical equipment and in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Security and Hanoi Police, authorities were able to pinpoint the source of the fake BTS signals.

By 7:00 PM the same day, they caught the foreign suspect red-handed using a fake BTS device concealed in a suitcase to connect to the mobile network and send out scam messages posing as Vietcombank.

The suspect’s tactics involved placing the fake BTS equipment inside travel luggage, constantly altering the Tracking Area Code (TAC), limiting broadcast range, and moving through crowded areas to evade detection.

This is not the first time Vietcombank has been impersonated by scammers using fake BTS equipment to send deceptive messages.

Earlier, on August 21, the Regional Radio Frequency Center II detected abnormal signal activity in Ho Chi Minh City during routine frequency monitoring.

Suspecting a fake BTS, the center quickly deployed personnel and coordinated with law enforcement from both the Ministry of Public Security and Ho Chi Minh City to investigate and apprehend the culprit.

At the scene, authorities seized two active fake BTS devices used to impersonate Vietcombank and Vietnam Post in attempts to defraud the public, along with an additional unused device.

In the first three weeks of August alone, the Authority of Radio Frequency Management, through Regional Center II, successfully detected and located sources of illegal signal interference. In collaboration with the police, they arrested four suspects, including foreign nationals, who had been using fake BTS equipment to distribute scam messages on a large scale.

Experts say that scammers are increasingly using sophisticated methods, shifting from impersonating government agencies and banks to delivery services, indicating the growing complexity and potentially transnational nature of cybercrime.

In another case, a suspect was caught transporting a compact fake BTS device on a motorbike through crowded streets during rush hour in Ho Chi Minh City, using it to spread spam and scam messages.

Speaking to VietNamNet, a representative from a local telecom operator revealed that the company has implemented a real-time detection system to identify and alert authorities when fake BTS devices are activated to impersonate banks or financial institutions.

The technology enables immediate detection of rogue transmissions and allows for swift coordination with law enforcement to apprehend the perpetrators.

Thai Khang