The development of the telecommunications - information technology industry brings many positive values ​​in promoting economic growth, contributing to the management and operation of the country, ensuring national security and defense, and at the same time improving the lives, culture and economy of the people. However, along with the development, there are also some limitations that need to be addressed, one of which is the increase in high-tech crimes along with many sophisticated methods and tricks to defraud and appropriate people's property.

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If a government agency uses a phone to contact people, the name of the government agency will appear on the mobile phone. Photo: NM

Although the police force has been focusing on cracking down on fraud cases of property appropriation in cyberspace, synchronously deploying many measures to contribute to maintaining safety and health on the network system in Vietnam. However, due to the subjectivity and lack of vigilance and precaution of a large number of enterprises, organizations and individuals, criminals can still easily defraud and appropriate property. In particular, recently, criminals often use the trick of impersonating judicial agencies and state agencies to call victims and ask them to follow their instructions to defraud and appropriate property of telecommunications subscribers.

Speaking in response to questions from delegates and voters at the 6th session of the 15th National Assembly on May 23, 2024, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized the solution: “Online scammers often use phones to impersonate state agencies. The Ministry of Information and Communications directs network operators to invest in technology. If a state agency uses a phone to contact people, the name of the state agency will appear on mobile phones or landlines with screens. If a call is received on a phone without a screen, people can request a call back via mobile number to identify themselves as a representative of a state agency.”

Implementing the direction of the Minister of Information and Communications, the Department of Telecommunications has coordinated with telecommunications enterprises to deploy call identification (Voice Brandname) for mobile phone numbers of State agencies including Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and Government agencies.

Based on the synthesis of the registration needs of identification phone numbers of relevant agencies, there are currently 732 mobile phone numbers used by State agencies to directly contact agencies, organizations and people to serve the purpose of solving their professional work.

Thus, subscribers of mobile networks Viettel, Vinaphone, Mobifone, GtelMobile and virtual mobile networks Itel, Mobicast, Local, VNSky, FPT when receiving calls from State agencies will see the identifier name (instead of the specific phone number) corresponding to 1 of the 732 phone numbers mentioned above. Incoming calls displaying the caller number (a 10-digit phone number, starting with the numbers 03, 05, 07, 08, 09) claiming to be a State agency calling or contacting are all impersonation and scam calls. People are advised to be vigilant and avoid falling into the traps of criminals.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is continuing to deploy call identification for fixed telephone numbers registered by State agencies. Call identification for fixed telephone numbers requires a transition from old technology (PTSN) to new technology (IP) as well as upgrading equipment and transmission lines, so it must be based on the system capacity, equipment and needs of each State agency. Therefore, the deployment of fixed telephone call identification requires time for telecommunications enterprises to contact for consultation, design solutions and carry out related legal procedures with each unit.

The Ministry of Information and Communications also noted that currently, fixed-line subscribers using terminals with screens and Vietnamobile mobile subscribers are not able to identify calls in the above manner.