Taking advantage of the upcoming official cut-off of 2G signals and the need to change phones from 2G to 4G, some people have scammed people into buying 2G phones but...
On September 16, Vietnam's telecommunications network operators will officially cut off 2G signals. People who are using 2G "brick" phones must switch to higher-end devices to continue using them. Taking advantage of the upcoming official cut-off of 2G signals and the need to switch phones from 2G to 4G, some people have scammed people into buying 2G phones but "disguised" as 4G for 400,000 - 500,000 VND/phone. The Department of Information Security, Ministry of Information and Communications recently issued a warning about this scam.
Currently, people who are using 2G devices, mostly the elderly, have the need to switch to 4G phones with buttons. These two types of phones are similar in design, buttons, battery life, and usage, so they are easily confused. Due to limitations in age and technology, many elderly people have been targeted by scammers who sell fake, counterfeit, damaged, or technologically defective phones that cannot be used. Ms. Tran Thi Phuong (68 years old, residing in Ba Dinh district, Hanoi) shared: she has been using a push-button phone for more than 10 years. When she was informed that she had to change her phone, she was very worried. After much hesitation, she went to the Mobile World phone store to be introduced by the staff and bought a new phone for a few hundred thousand dong.
Understanding the anxiety of most elderly customers about where to buy a new phone and how to change the SIM card, bad guys have used social networks or direct sales to approach and fraudulently sell fake 4G phones to users. Not only selling cheap 4G mobile phones, some people also sell repaired 3G smartphones with the advertisement "3G or 4G can be used comfortably" for less than 1 million VND.
After selling the phone and receiving the money, the subjects will delete the seller's account or block the buyer's account on social networks. Many users who are greedy for cheap prices and lack information have ordered phones from scammers. When receiving the phone and installing the SIM, the users will discover that they have bought a 2G phone or are using a 3G smartphone that is unusable when the network operator is about to switch to 4G.
Because it will be difficult for consumers to distinguish between "4G feature phones", the Department of Information Security, Ministry of Information and Communications recommends that people should choose reputable shopping addresses, not buy products floating on social networks. Consumers should choose to buy at reputable stores such as: FPT Shop, CellphoneS, Viettel Store... to be 100% assured of genuine goods, meeting requirements. In case of suspicion of being scammed, people should immediately report to the authorities or consumer protection organizations for timely support, resolution and prevention.
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