Impersonating authorities accounts for 9 per cent of all phishing attacks in Việt Nam

Viettel Cyber Security office. — Photo Viettel

HÀ NỘI The past year recorded the rise of attacks impersonating authorities in Việt Nam, accounting for nine per cent of the total number of phishing and spoofing attacks.

Looking back at the cyber information security situation last year, Viettel Cyber Security saw a significant increase in the number of fraudulent domain names, showing the widespread and growing of fraud and counterfeiting in Việt Nam in the past year.

Statistics from the Viettel Threat Intelligence system show nearly 5,900 fraudulent domain names last year, a number 1.3 times higher than in 2022 and 6.2 times higher than in 2020.

Viettel Cyber Security’s newly published report also shows that, in terms of sectors, the finance and banking industry continues to be the top target of fraud and counterfeit attacks, accounting for 54 per cent of the phishing and spoofing attacks.

The next position is the retail/e-commerce industry with 16 per cent.

Last year also saw a rise in attacks of people impersonating authorities in Việt Nam, accounting for 9 per cent of the total number of fraud and impersonation attacks.

Agreeing with the assessment that the problem of online fraud grew sharply last year, experts from the Việt Nam National Cyber Security Technology Corporation (NCS) previously analysed that overflowing junk SIMs and bank accounts, exposed personal data and the popularity of Deepfake technology have led to a series of online fraud cases.

Experts predict that, in the context that personal data trading in Việt Nam is still widespread, online fraud cases in cyberspace will continue to rise this year.

People need to enhance their vigilance to avoid becoming victims of scammers; regularly update and capture information on cyber security issues.

The handbook for identifying and preventing online fraud issued by the Authority of Information Security (AIS) under the Ministry of Information and Communications since mid-2023 also lists fraudulent calling by impersonating police agencies, procuratorates, or courts was one of 24 popular forms of online fraud in Vietnamese cyberspace.

The AIS said that using fake phone numbers, threatening to cause psychological pressure, asking to transfer money and personal information, and create time pressure were signs of this type of fraud.

To prevent scams impersonating authorities, experts recommend that people stay calm and not be fooled by psychological pressure and threats; verify the caller’s identity and information yourself by calling back the agency’s official phone number or contacting the agency directly through official channels.

People also need to absolutely not provide personal or financial information via phone, email or other means of communication.

In case of receiving a threatening call or suspecting signs of fraud, people should immediately notify the local police agency for support and advice.

“State management agencies will not ask people to transfer money or provide sensitive information over the phone suddenly without prior written notice,” said AIS experts to online newspaper Vietnamnet. VNS