CaliToday (11/12/2025): As the calendar flips to December 2025 and the festive atmosphere of Christmas and the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) begins to fill the streets, authorities are sounding the alarm on a darker trend. A sharp spike in sophisticated online scams is currently sweeping across Vietnam, targeting the hard-earned year-end bonuses of unsuspecting citizens.
The Ministry of Public Security and cybersecurity experts warn that digital criminals are evolving, moving beyond simple tricks to highly psychological manipulation tactics.
1. The "Easy Money" Trap ("Việc nhẹ lương cao")
The most prevalent trap ensnaring students and office workers looking for extra holiday cash is the "High Salary, Low Effort" recruitment scam.
The Lure: Scammers flood platforms like Zalo, Telegram, and Facebook with job offers promising 500k–1 million VND per day for simple tasks like "liking" videos, rating products on e-commerce sites, or data entry.
The Hook: Victims initially receive small payments to build trust. However, they are soon asked to "pre-pay" or transfer money to "unlock" higher-paying tasks. Once a large sum is transferred, the "employer" vanishes into the digital void.
2. The "Authority Impersonation" Nightmare
Perhaps the most dangerous tactic is the impersonation of government officials, specifically from the Tax Department or the Police.
The Tactic: Criminals use VoIP technology to spoof phone numbers, making calls appear to come from legitimate government hotlines.
The Script: They aggressively claim the victim is involved in a money-laundering ring or has unpaid tax debts that must be settled immediately to avoid arrest.
The 2025 Twist (Deepfake AI): In a terrifying upgrade, some scammers now use AI Deepfake technology on video calls, projecting the face and voice of a real police officer to intimidate victims into transferring their savings to a "secure verification account."
Urgent Public Advisory
Authorities emphasize a critical rule: Real government agencies never work via telephone or social media.
To protect your assets during this high-risk period, citizens are urged to follow the "3-NO" Protocol:
NO Transferring Money: Never transfer funds to strangers or "verification accounts" under any circumstances.
NO Sharing OTPs: Your One-Time Password is the key to your vault. Never share it, even if the caller claims to be a bank manager.
NO Clicking Strange Links: Be wary of SMS or emails asking you to update your banking app or tax information.
The Golden Rule: If you receive a threatening call, hang up immediately and verify with the local police station in person. Do not let fear cloud your judgment.