Phone Scam in Vietnam: Fake Police and Bank Calls

Phone scam in Vietnam usually follows one script: a stranger calls, claims to be police or a bank officer, and says you must act now. The safe reply is short. Hang up, call back on an official number, and report the call. Real agencies do not ask you to move money over the phone.

How the fake police call works

The caller says he is an officer from the police, the procuracy or a court. He says your name is linked to a crime, such as fraud or money laundering. Then he asks you to talk to a "senior investigator." He may tell you not to tell anyone.

The next step is money. You are told to move your savings to a "safe" or "verification" account. The money goes straight to the scammer.

This is not new, but it keeps working. Binh Duong provincial police received 44 reports of this kind in the first 10 months of 2022. The losses were close to 100 billion VND. In January 2023, Thai Binh police broke up a ring of dozens of people who took more than 28 billion VND in about two months.

Sources: Chongluadao.vn, Beware of scams pretending to be a law enforcement agency, July 16, 2023, citing the Department of Information Security; VietNamNet Global, Phone scams on the rise: Hanoi Police, March 12, 2020 (for the senior investigator and secrecy details).

The fake bank call and text

Another version uses the name of a bank. The message says your banking app was opened on an unknown device, or your account will be locked. It asks you to click a link or read out a code.

In April 2023, Vietcombank said it had received several reports of such texts. The link opens a fake page that looks like the real login screen. It asks for your user name, password and one-time code. With these, the scammer takes over your account.

Maritime Bank noted that fake texts can land in the same message folder as real ones. That makes them look true. A one-time code (OTP) is meant for you alone. No bank needs you to read it out or type it into a link from a text.

Sources: Vietnam News, Banks warn of resurgent SMS scams, April 8, 2023; Vietstock, same article, April 8, 2023.

Red flags that give the scam away

• The caller says you are part of a criminal case and you must keep it secret.
• You are pushed to act at once, with no time to think or ask anyone.
• The caller asks you to move money to a named account, or to share your ID number, card number or OTP.
• The number on your screen looks official. Do not trust it.
• You get a link to click or an app to install.

Caller ID can be faked. Hanoi Police warned in 2020 that scammers used software to show numbers that look like Hanoi Police or other state offices. Hanoi Police also said it always sends a direct invitation or order, and never asks citizens to transfer money to bank accounts.

Sources: VietNamNet Global, Phone scams on the rise: Hanoi Police, March 12, 2020; Chongluadao.vn, July 16, 2023.

A new twist in 2023: calls from "cyber police"

On June 27, 2023, Hanoi City Police warned about calls from people posing as officers of its Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department. The callers said the person had joined fraud against many others. Then they asked for personal data and bank account details.

The police advice was plain. Be wary of unknown numbers. Do not give personal data. Do not follow instructions from such callers. When the police need something from you, they send an invitation or summons for you to come to the office. They do not collect information over the phone.

Sources: Nghe An Newspaper (baonghean.vn), Warning about cases of impersonating police officers, June 28, 2023.

What to do: hang up, call back, report

1. Hang up. You owe the caller no answer. Stay calm. Fear is what the script relies on.
2. Do not share or send anything. No OTP, no password, no ID or card number, no transfer.
3. Call back on an official number. Find the number on the agency's own website or on the back of your bank card. Do not use a number the caller gave you.
4. Talk to someone. A family member, a friend or your bank can help you check.
5. Report it. Tell the nearest police office. Tell your bank right away if you shared anything or clicked a link. Vietcombank, for one, lets customers lock their digital banking by text or hotline.

If you already sent money, call your bank at once and ask for help. Speed matters.

Sources: Chongluadao.vn, July 16, 2023; Vietnam News, April 8, 2023; Nghe An Newspaper, June 28, 2023.

Why this matters for buyers and businesses

Staff who handle payments are targets too. A caller may claim to be a bank officer or a tax or police official and ask for a rushed transfer. A simple company rule helps: no payment or data request is acted on from a phone call alone. Confirm it in writing, through a number you already hold.

The Department of Information Security reported that posing as police, procuracy and courts was among the 24 most common forms of fraud in the first half of 2023. Share this checklist with your team and your family.

Sources: Chongluadao.vn, July 16, 2023, citing the Department of Information Security.