In its report on prominent online fraud situations for the week of December 30, 2024, to January 5, 2025, the Information Security Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) warned the public about three types of fraud that are being widely used by perpetrators in Vietnam's cyberspace.

The risk of being scammed when exchanging money online during the Lunar New Year season.

As the Lunar New Year approaches, the demand for exchanging small denominations and new banknotes for giving lucky money or preparing for holiday spending increases significantly. This creates opportunities for individuals to use sophisticated methods to steal money.

In reality, many people have exchanged old banknotes for new ones but received less than the promised amount, or even counterfeit money. In numerous cases, after people transferred the money, the account holder on the social media platform blocked all communication and defaulted on the deposit.

Typically, those who fall victim to scams and receive counterfeit money do not report it to the authorities, for fear of being prosecuted for the crime of trading in counterfeit money.

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The Cybersecurity Department advises people to be wary of strangers and to avoid exchanging money online through social media to prevent becoming victims or assisting in fraudulent activities.

With online services on social media, people need to check carefully before making a transaction; be wary of services that require payment before receiving the goods.

When detecting individuals involved in the possession or circulation of counterfeit money, or other fraudulent activities, it is necessary to promptly report them to the police so that preventive and corrective measures can be taken.

Beware of fraudulent contacts through the Signal app.

The Information Security Department announced that cybersecurity experts have warned about a phishing campaign on Signal, a free messaging and calling platform with two-way encryption.

Accordingly, a clear trend is that many scammers operating in ASEAN 'scam camps' are shifting from Telegram to Signal as their primary scam communication platform.

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Common scam methods include fake financial investment platforms, romance scams, and impersonation; sending links containing malware to deceive people…

Furthermore, these individuals even impersonate government agencies to gain the victims' trust, or pose as bank or financial company employees to request users to provide personal information or transfer money.

The Cybersecurity Department advises people to be vigilant when using Signal, as well as other social media platforms, messaging apps, and free calling applications.

People should also slow down, carefully check identities, and absolutely refrain from sharing sensitive information online; always verify any unfamiliar links, accounts, or organizations.

Impersonating bank employees to scam people into taking out loans or refinancing.

A common scam recently involves impersonating bank employees to fraudulently obtain loans or refinance existing ones. This tactic has trapped many people, especially those with limited financial experience, in the scam.

In terms of tactics, these individuals often impersonate employees of a large bank, calling or texting customers under the pretext of 'informing them about preferential loan packages' or 'updating their credit information'.

Then, the perpetrator asks the borrower to provide personal information such as their citizen identification number, bank account number, income level, loan purpose, etc.

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In cases where victims already have loans at a bank, the scammers will notify them that a payment is due or that they need to extend their loan; and then ask the victims to transfer money or provide personal financial information to secure the transaction.

After the victim follows the instructions, the perpetrator will block communication and steal the money.

The Information Security Department advises people to proactively call the official phone number of the bank to verify the identity of the person; not to provide personal information; not to follow instructions from strangers, especially regarding money transfer transactions; and not to access strange links or download applications from unknown sources.

A scam campaign targeting sensitive Telegram user data has been discovered . If users follow instructions from suspicious messages, their personal information and other sensitive data associated with their Telegram accounts will be stolen.