Pham Thai Son, deputy director of the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) under the Authority of Information Security (AIS), said that AIS carried out the assessment of the apps of 29 banks in September 2023 and found that six apps did not deploy two basic security requirements, while nine apps deployed simple security requirements, nine others deployed security solutions well, and five apps had strict security.

As such, 21 percent of apps were not protected, 21 percent apps used security solutions which could be easily fooled by hackers, 31 percent of apps were found difficult to be overcome and 17 apps had strict protection schemes.

The 70 million Vietnamese who use the internet are targets for scammers to swindle. Most scams (72 percent) are financial.

In 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) received 17,400 complaints about online scams from internet users. In the first quarter 2024 alone, it received 4,100 complaints, of which 60 percent were swindling via mobile phones.

In general, scammers approach victims via calls, SMS messages, emails and social networks.

After approaching victims, scammers send links to fraudulent websites to steal information and trading codes, or they persuade victims to install toxic mobile apps and lure them to OTT to manipulate them.

Finally, scammers appropriate victims’ assets by telling them to remit money into trunk bank accounts, via payment portals or cryptocurrencies.

“The problem is that it is difficult to trace scammers’ cash flow. In most cases, money is transferred via many different accounts before it is transferred abroad,” Son said, adding that early cash flow detection will help take back victims’ money and ensure banks’ safety.

Though agencies and commercial banks regularly update information about new scam tricks, the number of victims has increased as scammers apply ‘scam trends’. For example, in the first months of a new year, scammers call victims and persuade them to download the app for tax finalization from a distance. 

Son said in order to prevent scams, banking apps need to contain regimes which can discover toxic behaviors and detect fraud when strangers break into users’ banking apps.

According to State Bank of Vietnam’s (SBV) Deputy Governor Pham Tien Dung, SBV has told commercial banks only open accounts online if clients can show chip-based identity cards. If clients don’t have chip-based identity cards, they need to go to commercial banks to follow procedures.

Trong Dat