Impersonation scams are becoming more and more sophisticated and unpredictable.

Over the past week, on Facebook, many users of this social network in Vietnam have been exposed to fake Samsung brand advertisements from the fanpage 'SamCenter Vietnam', posting the opening of a new facility and information about a promotional program - selling 5,000 Buds 2 Pro headphones at a discount of up to 70% compared to the original price.

In the following days, the same fake fanpage continued to post information "With enthusiastic support from customers, after only 2 hours, the number of sales reached 5,000 units, officially breaking the company's record to date" , with the purpose of luring many users to participate in the program.

Specifying that the above promotional program is not real, created by impersonators of major brands to scam users, the Information Security Department also noted: The fake fanpage is professionally designed, and the subjects even create a series of comments with the content "received the goods" and evaluate the product quality under the posts on the fake fanpage to increase the level of trust with users.

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According to the Information Security Department, cases of impersonating major brands to commit fraud are quite common in cyberspace. Photo of advertising information on a fake fanpage impersonating Samsung's Facebook page: NCSC

It is worth mentioning that the case of subjects building fake fanpages, websites and impersonating big brands to create fake promotions to commit fraud like the specific incident mentioned above is not an isolated case, and has even appeared quite frequently in Vietnamese cyberspace in recent times.

For example, also in September, some social media users received messages with the content "receive gifts from Adidas on the occasion of the company's 70th anniversary" along with a link for users to log in; or in June, a series of similar messages with the content inviting them to join the "Coca-Cola Welfare Fund" to receive gifts, receive rewards from Rolex watches on the occasion of the company's founding anniversary... were also sent to many social media users.

In addition, according to the Department of Information Security, taking advantage of the natural disasters that occurred in the northern provinces recently, scammers not only launched fake promotional programs, but also called for purchases to donate to charity, thereby appropriating people's property.

Specifically, the subjects created websites similar to those of famous brands or charities, providing information about promotional products to call for charity. The subjects also used fake social media accounts, posted advertisements for promotional programs, encouraged people to buy products and committed to donating a portion of the revenue to the people who suffered losses; but in reality, the purpose of these promotional programs was to make profit.

8 tips to avoid becoming a victim of fraud impersonating big brands

Warning people to be vigilant when participating in cyberspace, experts from the Department of Information Security emphasized: Currently, scammers use many tricks to impersonate brands and businesses to deceive.

The common trick of scammers is to send promotional links, attractive gifts and ask consumers to enter their personal Facebook login information, or more dangerously, their personal bank account password, then they take over the victims' accounts.

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Users are advised to be vigilant against tricks of impersonating brands and businesses to defraud and appropriate property. Illustration: ChatGPT

To avoid becoming a victim of fraud impersonating major brands, the Information Security Department has 8 notes for users.

First of all, users need to be alert when choosing to buy discounted products from technology companies advertised on Facebook, because discount programs will be announced on the company's official website.

When in doubt about the authenticity of a promotion, users should contact the brand's customer service department directly for verification. "Promotions that are too good and attractive are often signs of fraud," commented the Information Security Department.

Users should also avoid clicking on links sent via text messages, emails, or social media if they are unsure of their authenticity. This will help prevent bad actors from taking control of their devices and stealing their assets.

Not providing personal or financial information is one of the recommended precautions for users. Because reputable brands will not ask users to provide sensitive information such as passwords, credit card numbers, or OTP codes to receive promotions.

At the same time, people need to raise their vigilance and not send donations or support for the victims to accounts of unknown origin.

When receiving information online calling for donations or selling goods to help fight storms and floods, people need to carefully verify the content; at the same time, follow the official media to know the official organizations and trusted addresses that receive money and goods to support people in localities that have suffered severe consequences of natural disasters.

People absolutely do not transfer donations to individuals or organizations without clear identities; only donate through official accounts of state agencies or reputable organizations and individuals.

“In addition, when encountering a situation suspected of fraud, immediately report it to the authorities or the counterfeit brand so that they can take timely action,” the Information Security Department recommends.

Be alert to increasingly sophisticated fraud and property appropriation tricks . Along with pointing out common fraud tricks on cyberspace last week, the Department of Information Security (Ministry of Information and Communications) recommends that people raise their vigilance and equip themselves with skills to prevent and respond to fraud situations.