Behind the scam calls

Phu Tho Provincial Police successfully rescued a child who was kidnapped online. Photo: Phu Tho Provincial Police

People often wonder how subjects in foreign countries can "read" the personal information of victims. Sharing this issue, an investigator who has many years of experience directly handling fraud cases through cyberspace said that data is being leaked and exploited more and more sophisticatedly. From online gambling, betting, and financial investment platforms, where players are forced to leave their full name, phone number, bank account number, address... to "easy work, high salary" and "online collaborator" applications that require taking photos of citizen identification cards and providing phone numbers, all can become "data mines" that are sold to criminal networks. In a special case, the authorities discovered about two hundred thousand pieces of personal data in the hands of subjects in foreign countries, most of which were Vietnamese information, classified quite detailed.

Another point, no less dangerous, comes from the habit of sharing too much on social networks. From shares on Facebook, Zalo, criminals can easily find out the account, quietly "scrutinize" each status line, photo, information about workplace, relatives, income, hobbies, even trips, daily schedules. The more people like to show off, or update pictures of family, children..., the easier it is for their information to be stolen.

The investigator said: “Before making the call, the subjects almost always have a ‘profile’ of the victim, knowing what the victim does for a living, where they live, whether they have a wife, husband, children, and family relationships. From this data source, the subjects begin the next step of building a scenario.”

In many cases that were busted, the police force seized carefully drafted "curriculums" of fraud, divided into groups of subjects, officials, teachers, businessmen, housewives, students... Each group has a different approach and wording. In addition to the "script writing department", the network also has a group specializing in practicing situations. According to the investigator, at many locations abroad, the subjects organize training like a training center, new people have to listen to sample calls, memorize the lines, and then practice with simulated scenarios. The person playing the role of the victim continuously presents difficult situations, the fraudster must handle them, and speak clearly to get a "practice certificate". Many cases show that the tone, form of address, and rhythm when "giving orders" or "explaining" of the fraudsters are practiced, making the listener drawn into the story without having time to think.

Notably, while previously, the scam money was often transferred directly from the victim's account to a domestic "bait" account, the scenario has now become much more sophisticated. As soon as the money entered the intermediary account, the subjects immediately switched to buying virtual currency, or split it into many different accounts, using e-wallets, digital wallets, e-commerce services, and online shopping. In just a very short time, the money flow was "shredded", "cleaned" of traces, making asset recovery extremely difficult.

It can be seen that people are facing organized crime rings, with "directors", "actors", "technicians", not just a few individual scammers. Therefore, the warning cannot stop at general slogans, but must become very specific principles of conduct in daily life.

First of all, everyone needs to be aware that personal data is as important as the money in the account. Do not easily provide photos of your ID, account number, address, or contacts to dubious applications and platforms. On social networks, you should limit showing off your children, assets, and travel schedule; a candid photo can become a "prop" in a scam scenario.

On the other side of the line, criminals never sleep. They constantly update their tricks, rewrite scripts, and organize rehearsals like drills. If each citizen does not raise their level of vigilance accordingly, it is easy to become a victim of fraud plays....

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