On April 1, Hanoi police reported that a woman living in Long Bien District was scammed out of more than 1.3 billion VND (approx. USD 52,000) after following money transfer instructions sent from a Viber account impersonating her daughter.

The incident occurred on March 28, when Mrs. T. (residing in Long Bien District, Hanoi) noticed a missed call from what appeared to be her daughter’s Viber account. When she called back via video, the screen briefly displayed an image of her daughter before the call was suddenly disconnected.

The account then sent her a message, claiming poor signal quality as the reason for the dropped call and explaining an urgent need for money to exchange foreign currency at a favorable rate.

Believing it was indeed her daughter, Mrs. T. followed the instructions and transferred the money without verifying the request. It was only after noticing that all messages from the Viber account had been deleted that she began to suspect foul play. She promptly contacted local police.

In response to this case, Hanoi police have issued a public warning urging people to be extremely cautious when receiving text messages or calls requesting money transfers or loans - even if they appear to come from friends or family.

Authorities advise the public to always verify such requests, especially urgent ones, by calling the person directly via their regular phone number or meeting in person when possible.

They also stressed the importance of avoiding suspicious links - even those sent by known contacts - and ensuring the bank account name matches the intended recipient before making any transfers.

Police highlighted the growing threat of deepfake technology, where scammers use AI to mimic a loved one’s appearance and voice to deceive victims. These fake videos often lack emotional expression, exhibit mismatched audio and lip movements, or show unnatural eye movements and gestures. Criminals typically end calls quickly, citing excuses such as “weak signal” or being “busy,” preventing victims from catching on in time.

Such tactics have already led to several victims losing billions of dong.

When encountering suspicious behavior, citizens are urged to immediately report it to the police so authorities can act swiftly to prevent fraud and ensure legal action is taken.

Tien Dung