On the afternoon of October 5th, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam chaired the regular monthly press conference for October to provide information and exchange views with media agencies on a number of issues related to the activities of the Ministry and the information and communications sector that are of interest to the press and the public.

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Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam chaired the Ministry's regular monthly press conference in October. Photo: Le Anh Dung.

Besides other noteworthy information such as the results of the 16th ASEAN Ministers of Information Meeting (AMRI 16) in Da Nang ; the outstanding activities of the "Month of Action in response to Digital Transformation Day 10/10" and " Month of Digital Consumption ", the results of the comprehensive inspection of TikTok..., the issue of addressing the widespread problem of online fraud is also a topic of interest for the press.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, in recent months, the Ministry has actively promoted the dissemination of information, resulting in some changes in the online fraud situation. However, online fraud methods are constantly changing, a mix of old and new, and always evolving into new, more sophisticated forms.

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Website impersonation is one of the three most common forms of online fraud in Vietnam in September 2023. (Illustrative image: Thu Hien).

Statistics show that in September 2023, the Information Security Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) recorded the three most common forms of online fraud, including: website impersonation, fraud via links/compressed files, and credit card fraud, and theft of assets through QR codes.

Also in September 2023, the national malicious domain warning and blocking system successfully blocked 441 websites that violated the law and engaged in online fraud.

Mr. Pham Cong Hai, Deputy Head of Department 5, Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control Bureau (A05), Ministry of Public Security, stated that high-tech crimes are currently evolving in a complex manner, with fraudulent activities and violations of privacy occurring to many people, especially those in rural areas with difficult economic conditions and the elderly.

Recently, high-tech crime has continued to increase and become more complex, with new criminal methods emerging such as fraud using Deepfake technology, organizing and participating in large-scale gambling, buying and selling bank account information for illegal purposes, using devices similar to BTS stations of telecommunications companies or using software to spread fraudulent messages; illegal lending activities, quick loans on mobile and online platforms; theft and trading of personal data; activities by some foreign individuals exploiting Vietnam to establish and operate criminal websites and networks...

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Mr. Pham Cong Hai, Deputy Head of Department 5, Cyber ​​Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control Bureau. Photo: Le Anh Dung.

Along with sharing implemented measures and recommendations for the public to prevent online fraud, the A05 representative also emphasized the effectiveness of coordination among ministries and agencies in handling online fraud crimes.

Accordingly, the police have closely coordinated with relevant agencies, including units of the State Bank of Vietnam, to discuss solutions on how to prevent the flow of illegal funds, for example, considering a solution that requires biometric authentication for a certain amount of money.

"Typically, when fraudsters receive large sums of money, they transfer it through many accounts to embezzle it. Therefore, we need a biometric authentication mechanism to prevent that flow of money. We are currently working with the State Bank of Vietnam," Mr. Pham Cong Hai cited as an example.

Concurring with this view, and affirming that the State Bank of Vietnam has been closely coordinating with the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Information and Communications, Deputy Director of the Payment Department Le Van Tuyen stated that in the coming time, the State Bank of Vietnam will coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to develop a plan to support banks in cleaning up data and matching online bank account registration information with mobile phone subscriber information based on mobile phone numbers.

Regarding the widespread concern about online fraud, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam shared: "Through discussions among ASEAN Information Ministers at AMRI 16, it can be seen that other countries in the region also face similar problems to Vietnam, and all have similar action plans as we do."

According to the Deputy Minister, the presence of the Ministry of Public Security and the State Bank of Vietnam at the Ministry of Information and Communications' press conference to answer questions related to online fraud shows that this is a multi-ministerial issue with shared responsibility. It's not simply about establishing communication through official methods or whether it falls under the purview of the Ministry of Information and Communications, but also encompasses the financial and banking sphere and the crime suppression function under the authority of the Ministry of Public Security.

The Deputy Minister also particularly emphasized the importance of providing knowledge to help people better protect themselves in cyberspace and avoid online scams.

Besides identifying problems and conveying messages to government agencies, the press also has a very broad scope: providing knowledge to society and enabling citizens to be resilient and adaptable, including knowing how to protect themselves from online fraud.

Vietnamnet.vn