Beware of the "matrix" of scams during the Lunar New Year season.

From exchanging lucky money, selling cheap airline tickets and tours, to year-end promotions and thank-you offers, a "maze" of scams is spreading across the internet as Tet approaches, with increasingly sophisticated methods. If people are not vigilant, they can easily become victims.

Thanh Hoa police seized numerous tools and equipment used in the commission of crimes by individuals involved in lottery scams during a crackdown in December 2025.

Clicking on an advertisement for a new fashion product on the Yody brand's fan page, Ms. Hoang Thi Huong from Hac Thanh ward was led to participate in an online survey with the promise of receiving a free gift as a year-end appreciation gesture. However, when asked to access the link to "Receive a gift voucher," Ms. Huong became suspicious and stopped the transaction. After researching the matter in the media, she was shocked to learn that this was one of the scams that had previously tricked many victims into losing large sums of money.

Accordingly, the perpetrators create fake fan pages that are almost identical to the official page, posting messages inviting customers to receive online gifts and free product sets, claiming they are "gifts only, not for sale." When users leave comments or messages, the perpetrators redirect them to chat groups on the Telegram application, inviting them to participate in "online tasks" with many attractive profit packages. Initially, small amounts of money are fully refunded to build trust, then participants are required to deposit or advance money of increasingly larger amounts, ultimately embezzling the entire sum. In one case, a victim fell into the "Yody gift" trap and was defrauded of over 2 billion VND.

Along with shopping, the increased demand for travel and returning home for Tet (Lunar New Year) among students and workers has also become fertile ground for fraud. According to authorities, perpetrators often create fake websites and fan pages impersonating reputable transportation companies, travel agencies, or accommodation establishments, posting advertisements for cheap airline tickets and "super-discount" tours at prices significantly lower than the market rate. After requesting deposits, the perpetrators quickly cut off contact. Another tactic involves impersonating customers who have booked tours with reputable travel companies, then posting information about "urgent tour cancellations" along with fake invoices, images, and reviews to gain trust. When victims transfer money for high-value service packages, the perpetrators immediately embezzle the funds and disappear.

Despite numerous fraud cases being continuously cracked down on and widely publicized by authorities, the reality shows that perpetrators continue to change their methods of operation. Worryingly, recently, high-tech criminals have been exploiting artificial intelligence (AI) to create increasingly sophisticated scams, targeting people's psychology and habits, making it more difficult to distinguish between genuine and fake scams.

For example, in late December 2025, the Thanh Hoa Provincial Police dismantled a large-scale, organized fraud ring operating with extremely sophisticated methods. The perpetrators rented office space in Ho Chi Minh City but did not register their business as required by law. From July 2025, this group used hotline numbers to announce cash prizes or valuable gifts such as televisions, refrigerators, air conditioners, massage chairs, etc. The calls were made through calling software.

The scammers used the internet, presenting calls as if they were from reputable businesses or e-commerce platforms. After gaining trust, they offered various deceptive reasons such as tax fees, reward fees, expedited shipping, gift insurance, etc., to trick victims into transferring money. The victims were mainly elderly people in rural areas. Initial investigations determined that from January 2024 to December 2025, the scammers defrauded approximately 1,000 victims nationwide, appropriating an estimated hundreds of billions of VND. The police have initiated legal proceedings, arrested 35 suspects, and are continuing to expand the investigation as per regulations.

According to the Ministry of Public Security, online fraud is predicted to continue increasing before, during, and after the Lunar New Year of the Horse 2026, with many new forms, notably the application of artificial intelligence (AI) to build more sophisticated fraud scenarios, impersonating voices, images, and personal information. These include schemes promising "easy work with high pay" and assignments.

Online platforms, e-commerce collaborators, etc., are predicted to see a strong resurgence, capitalizing on the desire to earn extra income at the end of the year.

Authorities advise citizens to be more vigilant; regularly monitor announcements and warnings from the police, banks, and mainstream media; absolutely do not install applications from unknown sources on devices linked to bank accounts; and do not provide personal information, passwords, or OTP codes under any circumstances.

Experts from the Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of the Ministry of Public Security recommend that when using tourism and resort services at the beginning of the year, people should carefully research the service provider, prioritizing reputable businesses with clear licenses; and at the same time, carefully check invoices and documents and verify information through various channels. In particular, if suspicious signs are detected or if a victim of fraud is found, people should quickly report it to the nearest police station for timely assistance and handling.

Text and photos: Bach Nguyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/can-trong-ma-tran-lua-dao-dip-can-tet-277491.htm