Tourists seek information when experiencing tourism in Hue.

Various types of scams

Recently, social media shared the story of a young man who tried to find a cheap tour. The traveler stated that after joining a group selling used travel vouchers, he saw a post about a promotion at a famous resort. He contacted them to purchase the voucher, and the consultant requested a 50% deposit. Unaware that the fan page was fake, he quickly transferred the money. However, as the departure date approached, the traveler received no information and discovered he had been scammed when all communication channels were blocked.

Recently, online fraud, particularly in the tourism sector, has become quite common. Taking advantage of the increased demand for travel, especially during holidays and long vacations, and the desire for budget-friendly travel among some tourists, fraudsters use deceptive tactics to trick victims into booking cheap hotel rooms or tours, aiming to steal their money. This negatively impacts the image of the tourism industry and causes public outrage.

In Hue , at the end of 2024, the fanpage of Vedana Lagoon resort & spa (Phu Loc district) also issued a warning to alert customers to be vigilant and avoid being exploited by fake fanpages. Scammers created a fake Vedana Lagoon fanpage on Facebook under the name Vedana Lagoon Wellness resort & spa, posting information identical to the real Vedana Lagoon resort & spa to lure customers into booking rooms at cheaper prices, thus defrauding them of their money. Many customers fell into this trap.

One of the most sophisticated tactics is for scammers to target newly opened hotels, accommodations, and tourist destinations with limited information, images, likes, and interactions on their fan pages, making them difficult for customers to identify. From there, the scammers advise customers in a professional manner. Without caution and increased vigilance, tourists can easily fall into this trap.

This information warns locals and tourists about various forms of fraud in the tourism sector.

Another form of fraud involves booking transportation services. Taking advantage of the peak tourist season, scammers impersonate overseas tourists returning home for a vacation and experience, claiming they need a complete transportation package. They then falsely claim to have made a deposit via international money transfer, manipulating the victim's psychology and using advanced technology to steal their money.

Mr. Nguyen Thai Hoa, Chief Inspector of the Department of Tourism, said that online tourism scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Although the tourism industry and relevant authorities regularly issue warnings and recommendations to the public and tourists about the fraudulent tactics of these scammers, many people still fall prey to them due to the desire for cheap travel or a lack of thorough research.

Increase vigilance.

In response to the increasing number of scams in the tourism sector, on February 12, 2025, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration issued Official Letter No. 253/CDLQGVN-QLLT directing the strengthening of prevention, suppression, and handling of fraudulent activities involving the appropriation of assets in cyberspace. According to the Vietnam National Tourism Administration, in recent times, the number of scams and asset appropriation in the tourism sector, especially online booking scams, has been increasing. Scammers create fake websites and fan pages impersonating reputable tourism businesses, using deceptive tactics such as fake discounts and promotions, and demanding advance deposits to steal money from people. This negatively impacts the image of the tourism industry and causes public outrage.

To strengthen measures to prevent, deter, and handle fraudulent activities, protect the legitimate rights of tourists and the reputation of the tourism industry, and enhance the responsibility and awareness of tourism businesses as well as the public and tourists, the Vietnam National Tourism Administration requests that local tourism management departments strengthen communication with tourism service businesses and the public to understand new forms and tricks of fraud in the tourism sector; advise people to carefully research information about tourism service providers in general and accommodation establishments in particular before booking services and making payments; and only book services on official websites and fanpages of tourism service businesses provided by local tourism management agencies or through reputable booking platforms…

Guests receive thorough advice when choosing reputable accommodations in Hue.

According to the head of the Department of Tourism, the department's functional units, in coordination with inter-agency forces, have also strengthened inspection and supervision work, promptly detecting and handling violations in accordance with the law; receiving and promptly resolving related letters and complaints from citizens within their authority; coordinating with functional agencies to regularly review and block fake websites and fanpages, and at the same time strictly handling those who engage in fraudulent activities.

In addition, the tourism sector also provides information on registered tourism service businesses in the area so that residents and tourists can know and book services; at the same time, it coordinates in updating complete information on local tourism service providers onto the database system of the Vietnam National Tourism Administration for widespread and official publication nationwide.

Representatives from the Department of Tourism advise that tourists should carefully research information when choosing travel packages, especially being wary of information related to cheap travel services; they should choose tour bookings, hotel rooms, and airline tickets from reputable travel companies or applications. In suspicious cases, people and tourists can also request to see the business license, documents, and professional certificates of the travel company and be wary of travel packages, hotel rooms, and airline tickets with excessively low prices.

Currently, Hue City's tourism industry has announced a hotline for tourists, ready to advise and assist visitors or contact them via phone number 0234.382.8288. For incomplete information or suspicious signs, tourists can contact this number to inquire and avoid falling victim to scams.

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Source: https://huengaynay.vn/du-lich/canh-giac-voi-cac-chieu-tro-lua-dao-trong-linh-vuc-du-lich-152964.html