CaliToday (09/9/2025): The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has issued a nationwide public alert regarding a new and alarming wave of financial fraud, warning citizens about sophisticated cross-border scams utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) deepfake technology to impersonate relatives and steal money.
In its official statement, the central bank urged the public to exercise extreme caution with unexpected video calls, even if the person on screen looks and sounds like a family member or friend. The warning highlights the growing threat of advanced technology being weaponized for financial crime.
This intervention from Vietnam's top banking authority underscores the seriousness of the threat, as these scams are designed to bypass traditional skepticism and manipulate victims into making immediate, irreversible bank transfers.
How the Scam Operates
According to the SBV and cybersecurity experts, these scams are deceptive and highly convincing. The process typically unfolds in several stages:
The Call: The victim receives an unsolicited video call through a popular messaging app like Zalo, Facebook Messenger, or WhatsApp.
The Impersonation: Using deepfake technology, the criminals superimpose a moving, talking image of a loved one over their own. The voice is also cloned using AI to sound identical to the person being impersonated. The video quality may be intentionally poor, with the scammer blaming a "weak internet connection" to hide any subtle imperfections in the AI generation.
The Urgent Plea: The "relative" on the call will create a scenario of extreme urgency or distress. Common pretexts include being in an accident, facing a medical emergency, being arrested abroad, or needing to secure a time-sensitive investment opportunity.
The Transfer: The scammer pressures the victim to act immediately and transfer a large sum of money to a designated bank account, which is controlled by the criminals or a money mule.
Because the attack preys on the victim's emotional connection and trust, many people are tricked into acting before they have a chance to think critically. The cross-border nature of these criminal syndicates makes them exceedingly difficult for Vietnamese law enforcement to track and prosecute.
How to Protect Yourself: Red Flags and Verification
The State Bank of Vietnam advises all citizens to adopt a "zero trust" approach to any unsolicited video call that involves a request for money. Key recommendations include:
Independently Verify: If you receive such a call, hang up immediately. Contact the person who supposedly called you using their trusted, known phone number—not by calling back the number from the suspicious call.
Ask Security Questions: Challenge the caller with a personal question that an imposter could not possibly know. For example, "What was the name of our childhood pet?" or "What did you give me for my last birthday?"
Look for Deepfake Artifacts: Be suspicious of unnatural facial movements, strange blinking patterns (or a lack of blinking), mismatched lip-syncing, and a flat, emotionless tone of voice that doesn't match the urgent situation being described.
Establish a Family "Safe Word": Proactively agree on a secret word or phrase with close family members. In a real emergency, this word can be used to instantly verify identity over the phone or video.
Never Rush a Transaction: Legitimate emergencies can still be handled with a degree of caution. Never let anyone pressure you into making an immediate financial decision.
This warning is part of a growing global concern over the malicious use of AI. As the technology becomes more accessible, authorities expect such scams to become more frequent and sophisticated, making public awareness and vigilance the most effective lines of defense.
