In a recent warning about a common phone scam, the Vietnam Cyber ​​Emergency Response Center (VNCERT/CC) under the Information Security Department ( Ministry of Information and Communications ) stated that recently, many people have received text messages and calls offering preferential loan programs from individuals claiming to be employees of financial institutions.

When borrowers contact the scammers, they will ask them to provide personal information such as their national identity card, citizen identification card, bank account number, and other sensitive information.

financial fraud 1 1.jpg
To build trust, the messages from those impersonating financial institutions also claim that borrowers will not incur any fees. Photo: VNCERT/CC

Next, after receiving confirmation that their application has been approved, the scammers will ask people to pay a small fee for loan disbursement or insurance, promising that the fee will be reimbursed along with the loan.

However, the scammer will immediately block all communication with the victim after receiving the money.

online financial scam 01.jpg
To prevent online financial scams, VNCERT/CC recommends that people be vigilant when receiving messages or calls offering loans with low interest rates and quick procedures. (Illustrative image: VNCERT/CC)

In addition to having their assets stolen, victims of online financial scams also risk having their personal information leaked, and this leaked information can be used by perpetrators for other malicious purposes.

To prevent this, VNCERT/CC recommends that people be wary of loan offers via text messages or calls from unknown sources; carefully check the information of the financial company before borrowing money; and not provide personal information or transfer money before the loan is disbursed.

Numerous scams and fraud schemes targeting bank transactions are emerging . Warning about the increase in scams and fraud through bank transactions is one of the key points highlighted by the Information Security Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) to Vietnamese Internet users in its 'Weekly News' on online fraud this past week.