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Strengthening Online Scam Awareness to Safeguard the Digital Space
The increasing number of detected online scams, cybercriminals, and the rising damages due to fraud are ringing alarm bells for everyone. Having awareness about online fraud and raising vigilance against online scams have become more crucial than ever before.

With over 70 million Internet users and limited awareness about online fraud tactics, Vietnam has turned into a fertile ground for cybercriminals to thrive with increasingly sophisticated and dangerous scamming schemes, targeting high-value assets. Social media platforms, OTT messaging applications, and various online channels, while offering connectivity and clear communication benefits, have also become channels for criminals to execute scams on various user demographics, from older people to office workers, laborers, youth, students, and also children.

Dominant Forms of Online Scams
According to statistics, there are three main sets of scams (brand impersonation, account takeover, and combined forms) with 24 specific scamming methods occurring in the Vietnamese cyberspace. Among these, the "SIM lock" scam because of the non-standardized subscriber registration, the spread of SMS Brandname impersonation messages, and online recruitment scams will be the three most prevailing forms, impacting various age ranges. This article provides identification signs and precautions against these three highly vigilant online scam forms prevalent today.

1. "SIM Lock" Scam
Fraudsters often impersonate as government officials or network representatives, calling users and informing them that their phone number will be locked for two hours because of various reasons like "unpaid fines" or "incorrect subscriber information." After requesting personal information, they further instruct users to perform certain steps, such as sending messages to improve the owner's information or forwarding calls. Once they gain control over incoming calls, the perpetrators log in to the victim's e-wallet applications, social media marketing accounts, etc., and claim to possess forgotten their login credentials, choosing the feature to receive OTP notification calls. From there, they can easily hijack social media accounts, control e-wallet funds, and access bank accounts linked to e-wallets.

In order to avoid falling victim, users should actively verify if their information has been standardized or not through tools and guidance from network providers. Strengthening Online Scam Awareness to Safeguard the Digital Space ought to not comply with requests from unfamiliar telephone numbers and really should only follow update and standardization notifications from official channels of mobile network providers.

2. SMS Brandname Impersonation Scam
Scammers exploit the automatic connection feature to BTS stations with strong phone signal strength. They use fake BTS stations to send a large number of SMS Brandname impersonation messages to users, looking to seize their assets. The devices used to generate fake BTS stations are plentiful on the market and are transported to crowded places like public events, where they send messages to connected subscribers.

To prevent falling for SMS Brandname impersonation scams, individuals should exercise extreme caution in the next actions:

Always remember that banks, service providers, manufacturers, etc., typically do not request private information through SMS, email, chat software, etc. Therefore, receiving SMS messages demanding personal information is abnormal.

Never access links in suspicious or unverified messages. Do not log into personal accounts on such websites.

Avoid providing names, online banking login passwords, OTP codes, charge card numbers, and other bank-related information over the phone, email, social media marketing, or websites. Use electronic banking services only through the state website of the bank, and contact the bank's hotline for official information. The official websites of banks usually utilize the https protocol and end with the .vn domain.

If receiving unusual messages, promptly contact the brand's official hotline to verify the legitimacy of the website or application.

In case of fraud discovery, users should save evidence and are accountable to mobile network providers for resolution. Additionally, they should provide the evidence to the nearest police agencies beneath the provisions of regulations.

Avoiding Online Recruitment Scams
This type of scam involves deceiving victims with promises of high-paying, easy jobs as collaborators for e-commerce platforms such as Tiki, Shopee, Lazada, and other renowned brands. The scammers try to rob their victims of money, and the amounts they gain through this form of scamming range from several million to several hundred million VND.

To identify and steer Strengthening Online Scam Awareness to Safeguard the Digital Space of falling for online recruitment scams, individuals should look out for the following signs:

Demanding upfront payment before commencing work.
Requesting personal bank account information, including credit card numbers or bank details, beneath the pretense of making payments or creating accounts.
Advertising jobs with excessively attractive and easy incomes, without requiring special skills or experience.
Unsafe payment pages for orders without security symbols such as for example SSL or "https://" before the URL.
Insufficient company information or contact details.
Absence of contracts or clear agreements.
Negative feedback and reviews from other users.
If any of these signs are present, individuals should consider the chance to be scammed and remain vigilant, avoiding falling into traps.

Collaborative Efforts to market Cybersecurity
Recognizing the importance of being a pioneer in digital transformation, developing a digital society and a digital nation, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) is one of eight corporations and enterprises taking part in the cybersecurity awareness campaign for the general public on the cyberspace coordinated by the Authority of Information Security (AIS) and the Vietnam Information Security Association (VNISA). This collaborative effort aims to work together with the Government, agencies, ministries, and associations to protect Vietnamese users safely in the cyberspace.

To conclude, strengthening Strengthening Online Scam Awareness to guard the Digital Space and alerting the general public about various online scams is vital when confronted with increasingly complex and sophisticated cybercriminals. Only once people prioritize vigilance and adopt preventive measures against scams can we safely and confidently embrace the growing digital space of our nation.

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