Methods and tactics used by scammers.

In recent days, Ms. NTNH, residing in My Thuong ward, has been concerned about information regarding the possibility of converting bank reward points into cash. As a customer of a bank, Ms. H. shared that she was initially quite curious when she received this information.

"Reading local news websites about scams impersonating banks via SMS to steal money from accounts, I was truly shocked. If we're not vigilant, customers like me can easily be scammed. I hope everyone will learn about this to avoid falling into the trap," Ms. H shared.

According to the police, the perpetrators' modus operandi was to impersonate banks and send text messages to people's phones informing them that they had accumulated reward points that could be redeemed for money, along with attractive offers such as: "Convert 11,324 reward points to 5.6 million VND."

When users click on the attached link, the system will redirect them to a fake website with an interface similar to a bank's, requesting them to enter card information, account numbers, and personal data. Then, the scammers will ask users to enter an OTP code under the pretext of "confirming receipt of money" or "completing reward point redemption."

In essence, each time an OTP code is entered, the user is confirming a financial transaction. To prolong the manipulation process, perpetrators often display an invalid OTP code, requiring the victim to re-enter it multiple times in order to carry out a series of withdrawal transactions. Notably, they also exploit overdraft limits to steal larger sums of money from the victim's account.

In response to this situation, authorities and police units in Hue City have continuously issued warnings and recommendations to the public to be more vigilant when conducting banking transactions.

Major Nguyen Tan Phuoc, Head of An Cuu Ward Police, stated: "We continuously advise people to absolutely not access strange links sent via SMS; not to provide personal information, bank card information, or OTP codes to any individual or organization of unknown origin. People should verify information through official bank channels such as mobile applications or customer service hotlines."

In case you have already provided information or suspect you have been scammed, you should quickly contact your bank to block your card, temporarily suspend transactions, and report the incident to the nearest police station for assistance.

In reality, the activities of high-tech fraudsters are becoming increasingly sophisticated and unpredictable; their methods and tactics are constantly changing, preying on people's complacency and curiosity. Just a moment of carelessness or lack of vigilance can lead people into their traps.

To exert pressure, perpetrators often use urgent messages such as: "Deadline today," prompting victims to rush to comply. However, according to the banking industry, institutions never request urgent processing from customers over the phone.

People need to proactively set up security for their bank accounts, such as enabling biometric authentication, turning on balance change notifications, not saving passwords on public browsers, and logging out after use.

Currently, the professional forces of the Hue City Police and related units are coordinating with the banking sector to implement various solutions to combat and dismantle fraudulent activities, while also strengthening propaganda to raise public awareness.

However, the most important factor remains the vigilance of each customer. People need to remember: Banks never ask for OTP codes to receive money or rewards. Proactive prevention and increased vigilance are the best ways to avoid becoming victims of increasingly sophisticated scams. "Don't provide - Don't click links - Don't rush" is the most important principle to prevent bank reward point redemption scams.

Text and photos: TAM ANH

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-polit-xa-hoi/phap-luat-cuoc-song/lua-dao-quy-doi-diem-thuong-ngan-hang-164756.html