Online fraud in Vietnam and the world has been increasing rapidly. In Vietnam, just in the last two weeks, from July 29 to August 11, the Authority of Information Security (AIS) received 2,000 complaints about scams from people.

Investment scams and the other five types of fraud have been cited as the six ‘hot spots’ in Vietnam’s cyberspace.

Webs, fanpages impersonated

Ocean Edu, an English teaching center chain, was one of the victims of this type of fraud. Scammers created a lot of fake fanpages, using Ocean Edu’s names of examinations and images, and then called on mass media, parents and students to register to attend competitions to appropriate assets from the subjects.

Scammers used sophisticated tricks to cheat people. They created websites with domain names similar to the original ones, with just several different letters, so users did not recognize the wrong webs and fanpages.

To increase their credibility, scammers created documents, ads and products with names and logos of famous brands. They also posted content about the competitions, thus seducing people to provide their personal information and pay fees to attend the competitions. When victims paid the fees, the money would go to scammers’ accounts.

AIS has requested people to be cautious when attending competitions offered on social networks. They need to verify the identity of subjects and organizations before attending any competitions. 

People have also been asked to authenticate websites and emails by checking URL addresses, contact brands and organizations via official channels, and not to provide personal information, especially about bank accounts, in any form.

Fake 4G phones

Exploiting the 2G cessation policy and people’s high demand for 4G phones, some scammers have advertised 4G phones, but sold 2G products for VND400,000-500,000 per product.

Scammers exploited social networks to approach customers, or sold fake 4G phones directly to those who need to upgrade their devices. After selling fake products, scammers clear their sale accounts or block buyers’ accounts. Many people have become victims of fraud because the products offered were very cheap.

AIS, while pointing out that it is difficult to recognize 4G feature phones, has advised people not to buy 4G products via social networks, but only use services provided by prestigious distribution chains

Impersonating deliverymen to appropriate assets

To appropriate people’s assets, scammers contact victims and introduce themselves as shippers of prestigious forwarding companies who have postal parcels to deliver. The victims are requested to transfer money to an account to pay for the shipping fees.

After the victims successfully transferred money, they were informed that the bank accounts mistakenly sent to them before were the numbers for a shipper membership card registration, and they needed to conduct some operations to cancel the membership registration. When clicking the forged URL given by scammers and providing personal information, the victims may have their money in bank accounts stolen.

AIS has advised consumers to heighten vigilance when making payments online by always verifying information related to services or sale promotion programs. Consumers have been told not to transfer money to anyone before they receive goods, and not to access the links sent to them from strangers.

Real estate scams

The investor of QMS TOP TOWER, a project in Hanoi, has said that they have faced two scams recently.

Scammers posted that people can buy apartments at good prices to attract clients. When people contacted scammers and asked to purchase apartments, they asked people to pay a deposit by transferring money into an account.

Right after the victims transferred money to the given accounts, scammers immediately cut off contact and appropriated the deposit money.

AIS has advised people to be skeptical about real estate brokerage service on social networks, and not to pay deposit money if they are still not sure about the identity of subjects, organizations and enterprises.

Investment scams

Singapore has said that 897 investment and finance scam cases occurred within the last two months, in which victims lost $36 million.

Scammers invited victims into chat groups on messaging platforms, or made friends with victims on social networks. As members of chat groups, they shared information about how to make profit from investments and introduced ‘attractive investment deals’ to clients.

When people said they wanted to invest, they would be told to transfer money into certain bank accounts and PayNow.

Van Anh