Warning about scams targeting tourists during the year-end holiday season.

Việt Nam•10/11/2023

Towards the end of the year, especially when numerous businesses and retailers launch promotions, discounts, and special offers for holidays and Tet (Lunar New Year), scams targeting locals and tourists frequently appear. To mitigate risks for customers and enhance brand awareness, tourism and travel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City have issued several warnings and solutions to protect customer rights.

International tourists visit and learn about Ho Chi Minh City. (Illustrative photo: Hong Dat/TTXVN)

According to representatives from several tourism and travel businesses, during periods of high market demand and increased purchasing power, cases of fraud targeting tourists are more frequent than usual. Common types of tourist fraud include brand impersonation, advertising fake cheap tours, and using advertising services. These fraudsters often exploit customers' need for travel information, employing various tricks to deceive and steal their money and rights. Many gullible individuals have fallen victim to increasingly sophisticated scams, resulting in the loss of money and personal information.

On the other hand, malicious actors also use various forms of advertising and marketing on social media platforms, imitating brand names and similar colors, to offer domestic and international tours at inflated prices and with fake products and services. Many individuals even form groups impersonating travel and tourism businesses to contact customers and tourists both domestically and internationally through various direct or indirect means. This leads to serious consequences, such as customers having their deposits stolen or being lured into using cheap promotions to purchase other products.

Vietnam Tourism Media Joint Stock Company has announced a malicious profiteering scheme that is damaging the company's reputation and customers, as well as the community, during the peak season at the end of 2023. These individuals are using various methods to offer tours to Japan at a price of 6,999,000 VND per customer, for a 6-day trip. In some cases, customers received contracts with complete information, stamps, and signatures from other companies, but using the company's logo.

Recently, the Ho Chi Minh City Police Investigation Agency held a meeting with the City's Department of Tourism Inspectorate regarding a complaint from the Ho Chi Minh City Printing Association about EU Tourist Co., Ltd. receiving over 1.2 billion VND for tours but failing to fulfill its obligations, affecting the rights of a group of 64 MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) tourists. Despite lacking a license to operate international or domestic travel services, EU Tourist organized tours for several domestic and international groups, promoting information on its website eutourist.vn and fanpage with images of tourists holding EU Tourist flags and taking souvenir photos at famous destinations.

Regarding the issue of preventing and mitigating risks for residents and tourists, Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hoa, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, said that the Department is coordinating with relevant departments and agencies to review the business operations, passenger transport, tax payments, etc., of some tourism and travel businesses that show signs of violating legal regulations. Regarding the case involving the Ho Chi Minh City Printing Association and EU Tourist, the Department's Inspectorate is coordinating with many relevant parties to resolve the matter in accordance with the law.

From a business perspective, Mr. Pham Anh Vu, Director of Communications at Vietnam Tourism Media Joint Stock Company, advises people and tourists to carefully research the program and what services are included or excluded when searching for or booking tourism products. Furthermore, customers should choose to book tours, accommodations, and flights with reputable companies; and can request to see the company's business license and other relevant legal documents related to the travel agency they wish to purchase the tour from.

Regarding the requirement to transfer deposit payments for reservations, Mr. Pham Anh Vu further shared that, if possible, people and domestic and international tourists should conduct payment transactions directly at the offices of travel companies, and be vigilant against cases of collecting money in public places such as restaurants and cafes. Customers should proactively contact the travel company through official phone numbers, e-commerce channels, and social media platforms to verify product and service information before embarking on a tour.

In case of detecting signs of fraud, customers should report it to the authorities for guidance and to ensure their legitimate rights are protected. Regarding the buying and selling of travel packages, especially cheap travel and airline tickets, on social media platforms, people should choose reputable social media sites or thoroughly research the information of the provider or seller. Customers should verify the information and report any signs of fraud to the authorities for timely guidance and resolution.

According to Baotintuc.vn

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