Some victims of online scams are being psychologically manipulated to such an extent that they disregard even direct intervention from actual police officers - and still transfer money to fake authorities created through deepfake technology.

This alarming scenario was revealed by Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Do Thi, Deputy Head of the Network Information Security Division under the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention at Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security. He shared the insight during a panel discussion titled “Cybersecurity Law 2025 – Advancing Technological Autonomy” held in Hanoi on November 17.

According to Lt. Col. Thi, while emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), satellite internet, quantum computing, and digital ecosystems are advancing rapidly and being widely adopted, they also present serious risks when exploited by cybercriminals.

“Cybercrime today causes more damage than terrorism or drug-related offenses,” he warned.

In 2024 alone, Vietnam suffered more than 600,000 cyberattacks. Globally, 2.9 million people fall victim to cybercrime every minute. These crimes often leverage real-time news trends and deploy increasingly sophisticated psychological manipulation tactics.

Deepfake tactics outsmart human reason

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Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Dinh Do Thi, Deputy Head of the Network Information Security Division, shares insights at the cybersecurity panel. Photo: Ngoc Minh

A particularly disturbing method involves using deepfake technology to impersonate law enforcement officers or prosecutors to deceive people into handing over large sums of money.

“These scams continue to happen daily despite extensive awareness campaigns,” said Thi. “The losses are massive - not just a few billion VND, but in some cases, hundreds of billions (millions of USD).”

He recounted a recent case from September 2025, where scammers pretended to be police officers and accused the victim of involvement in a drug ring. Despite real police arriving at the scene to clarify the situation, the victim refused to believe them and went ahead with the money transfer to the impersonators.

“They were so psychologically manipulated that they couldn’t distinguish reality anymore,” Thi said.

More than phishing: Tech-fueled attacks exploit personal vulnerabilities

Other common forms of attack include fake websites, hacked business emails, doctored intimate images used for blackmail, and multi-level financial investment frauds.

In one case from Da Nang, a homeowner was blackmailed for over 100 million VND (approximately 4,200 USD) using footage obtained from a security camera installed by a technician they had hired.

“The more dependent we become on technology, the more vulnerable we are,” Thi noted, citing such examples as warning signs of how digital tools can be weaponized.

Legal unification and stronger cybersecurity frameworks needed

To confront these threats, Vietnam is now pushing for greater self-reliance in cybersecurity capabilities. Globally, 138 countries and territories have already enacted cybersecurity laws and are strengthening their cyber defense forces and regulations.

Vietnam recently hosted the signing ceremony for the Hanoi Convention, with 72 countries participating.

Domestically, the draft Cybersecurity Law is being built on the foundation of merging two existing legal frameworks: the 2018 Law on Cybersecurity and the 2015 Law on Information Security. This unification aims to create a coherent legal structure that eliminates overlaps, resolves contradictions, and boosts enforcement effectiveness in the face of rapid technological evolution.

Lt. Col. Thi emphasized that cybersecurity and technological development must go hand in hand. “Protecting to enable development is the core focus,” he said.

This involves not only setting up legal safeguards but also fostering conditions for technological progress.

He concluded by stating that no ministry or agency can single-handedly handle cyber threats - it requires the collective effort of the entire political and social system to build an effective national defense in the digital age.

Du Lam