Report Vietnam Warns of Rising Online Scams Amid Cybercrime Surge

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Picture courtesy of Vietnam News

 

Vietnamese authorities have issued a nationwide alert in response to a surge in online scams, highlighting cybercrime as a rapidly growing threat. At a recent anti-fraud event, Colonel Nguyễn Huy Lục from the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department emphasised the increasing sophistication of scams, making them harder to detect.

 

Criminals are employing diverse tactics, including impersonating government officials, promoting fake investment schemes, issuing fraudulent service payment demands, and orchestrating romance scams.

 

Key Scam Tactics Identified:

 

• Impersonation Calls: Scammers pose as police or officials, accusing victims of crimes and demanding money transfers or app downloads to steal banking details.
• False Recovery Offers: Impersonators claim they can recover lost funds, using fake sites and documents, then ask for payments.
• Fake Investment Platforms: Posing as crypto or trading representatives, scammers promise high returns before disappearing with victims’ money.
• Romance Scams: Crooks create fake profiles to build relationships and manipulate victims into investing in fraudulent schemes.
• Service Scams: Fraudsters impersonate utility companies, threatening cut-offs unless paid immediately.
• Fake Scholarships: False scholarship offers or refunds lead to demands for deposits or banking details.
• Shopping and Travel Scams: Bogus websites entice deposits with fake product or travel deals.

 

In response, the Ministry of Public Security is intensifying its fight against cybercrime. Measures include legal updates, improved internet and telecom oversight, and new digital tools to swiftly counter scams. Over 500 million warning messages have been sent to the public, and partnerships with global tech firms are expanding awareness efforts.

 

Major successes include dismantling a cross-border fraud network in the Golden Triangle, a notorious organised crime region. Many Vietnamese were lured there with fake job offers, only to face coercion.

 

Recently, Nghệ An police uncovered a significant cybercrime operation in Myanmar and the Philippines, defrauding over VNĐ2 trillion (US$76.58 million) from Vietnamese victims, leading to nearly 100 arrests.

 

Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant, avoid suspicious links, and verify sources before transferring money.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Vietnam News 2025-07-01