Beware of cybercrime

In recent times, although the mass media and police have stepped up propaganda and continuously issued warnings, the number of cases and people being scammed and having their property appropriated via cyberspace has continued to increase. Criminals operate with increasingly sophisticated methods and tricks, applying high technology to commit fraud, causing great property damage to victims, causing confusion among the public and disrupting security and order.

Officers and soldiers of the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department study files to combat cyber fraud.

“1001 types” of fraud

Recently, Ms. Pham Thi Ha, Ha Giang commune (Dong Hung) had her Zalo account taken over by a colleague and then texted her to borrow money. Due to her subjectivity, she transferred money to the subjects 3 times with the amount of 120 million VND before realizing she had been scammed. Immediately after that, Ms. Ha filed a complaint with the police but until now, the scammers who had appropriated her property have not been found. Ms. Ha said: This is the agency's fund, I had to use my own money to pay the group. The subject also called Zalo to create trust. I know about the scam of taking over Facebook to borrow money, but I have never heard of taking over Zalo, so I fell into the trap. Through this incident, I want to warn everyone to always be vigilant with messages and calls to borrow money via social networks, to verify the information by phone, and not to be scammed out of money like me.

To defraud and appropriate people's property, criminals use "1001 types" of fraud via cyberspace with very sophisticated methods and tricks, making it impossible for victims to predict. Along with taking over social networks to text, using deepfake technology to call via social networks to borrow money from friends, relatives, colleagues... and then appropriate the money transferred by the victims, the subjects also impersonate network operators to call to inform that your phone number has won a prize of great value, to receive that property you have to pay a fee; impersonate police officers, courts, prosecutors... to call to inform people involved in the case or to impose a fine for traffic violations, asking the victims to transfer money to the account provided by the fraudsters to serve the investigation and handling. Or the trick is impersonating a bank officer calling to inform the victim that someone has transferred money into the account but due to an error, the transfer has not been successful or notifying that the customer's internet banking money transfer software has an error... so the customer is asked to provide the card number and OTP code for verification, then the subjects use the information provided by the victim to access the account and withdraw the victim's money. Taking advantage of the gullibility and need to make quick money of some people, the subjects impersonate people recruiting collaborators to process orders for e-commerce platforms to commit property appropriation. With the invitation to invest in "like" task packages, share videos on the tiktok and youtube platforms to earn money online "easy work, high salary", many people also "fall into the trap" and are deceived.

Recently, many parents in some localities have received phone calls from scammers impersonating teachers, doctors, and medical staff, reporting that their children had an accident and were being treated at the hospital, asking them to quickly transfer money to pay hospital fees. There have been cases of being scammed out of hundreds of millions of dong. Many mobile subscribers have also received calls from strange numbers impersonating the switchboard of the Ministry of Information and Communications, threatening to lock their SIM cards in 2 hours; or requesting to provide their names and citizen identification numbers to standardize subscriber information. If they do not provide them, their subscriptions will be locked within a few hours. When phone users follow the instructions, the scammers take over their SIM cards, bank accounts, e-wallets, and then take over their money...

Intensify the fight

According to Major Le Xuan Quang, Deputy Head of the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, Thai Binh Provincial Police: The scams are in different forms but all have the same scenario: asking the victim to transfer money to a designated account or provide an OTP code to authenticate the transfer for checking, verification and then appropriation. Due to gullibility, subjectivity but also due to greed because of being promised gifts, high-profit business, high-paying jobs, many people have fallen into the trap, leading to the loss of money from several million to billions of VND. Along with promoting propaganda to raise people's awareness of methods and tricks of fraud and appropriation of assets in cyberspace, the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention has focused on coordinating with professional units of the Provincial Police to investigate, verify and handle 12 cases related to high-tech crimes.

Thai Binh City Police entered data records related to the activities of fraudsters who appropriated property on cyberspace.

Along with that, the police of districts, cities, communes, wards and towns in the province continuously issued recommendations to residential areas to warn people to raise their vigilance and not fall into the traps of these subjects.

Major Phan Minh Hoang, Deputy Head of Thai Binh City Police, said: Recently, the unit has also received many reports of crimes from citizens, agencies, and units about subjects using methods of contact via phone and social networks to commit fraud and appropriation of property. Through sources of crime denunciations and the fight, in early January 2023, the City Police discovered a fraud ring operating in an organized crime with sophisticated methods, using high technology, connecting with foreigners operating outside Vietnam to commit fraud and appropriation of property of Vietnamese people in the country on a large scale, arresting 19 subjects. These subjects impersonated telecommunications agencies in Vietnam to contact the victims, informed the victims of their violations of the law, and directly called the authorities to report. After that, the subjects continued to impersonate the police and the prosecutor's office to request support for the victims to resolve the case, asking the victims to transfer money to the subjects' accounts to appropriate. From November 2022 to December 31, 2022, the above fraud ring appropriated a total amount of over 28 billion VND. In November 2022, Thai Binh City Police also prosecuted and temporarily detained 14 subjects who fraudulently appropriated property in the form of selling perfume and giving gifts via social networks, with the number of victims reaching more than 9,800 people in 700 administrative units at the district and county levels nationwide, with the amount of money appropriated in the billions of VND.

Thai Binh City Police arrested fraudsters who appropriated property on the internet in January 2023. Photo: Thai Binh Police Evidence of the case of the subjects of fraud and property appropriation via cyberspace arrested by Thai Binh City Police in January 2023. Photo: Thai Binh Police

Raise awareness

According to Major Le Xuan Quang: To prevent and stop fraudulent acts of appropriating property on cyberspace, along with the fight of the police force, each citizen and organization must regularly update and grasp new methods and tricks of the subjects, raise vigilance and awareness of prevention to avoid being scammed and having their property appropriated. Always be vigilant when receiving incoming calls, the caller claiming to be an officer of a state agency, especially the police force, to notify and request investigation of the case over the phone. People need to pay attention, if the police, the prosecutor's office, the court, if working with people, will have an invitation, a summons and work directly at the agency's headquarters, not work over the phone, via social networks... Absolutely do not provide personal information, phone number, home address... to anyone when the identity and background of that person is unknown. Especially do not listen to the subjects who transfer money to the designated accounts. Regularly check and update the security and privacy features on bank accounts and social network accounts. Do not lend or rent related personal documents such as: citizen identification, identity card or bank card, do not accept bank transfers or receive bank transfers from strangers...

When there is suspicion of fraudulent property appropriation, people, agencies and units should promptly notify the nearest police agency for reception and guidance on handling;

Or contact the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department through the Provincial Police on duty, address: Le Quy Don Street, Thai Binh City or the unit's on duty phone number: 069.276.0505.

Manh Cuong

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