A woman in Hanoi has fallen victim to a scam, losing 585 million VND after being misled by individuals claiming to be officials assisting with business registration and electronic tax procedures. This incident highlights the increasing prevalence of scams in Vietnam, particularly those involving impersonation of government representatives.

According to the Hanoi Police Department, the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division has recorded numerous cases where scammers pose as government officials, offering assistance with legal procedures for business registration and taxes. The victim, identified as N.T.T.D. from An Khánh commune, reported that the scammers contacted her directly, introducing themselves as officials responsible for supporting legal processes.

To gain the victim's trust, the scammers sent her fraudulent documents via messaging apps such as Zalo and Viber. These documents appeared official, complete with national symbols and formatting similar to that of legitimate government communications. Subsequently, the scammers directed the victim to a fake website resembling a government portal, specifically “dangkythuedientu.com,” where they instructed her to follow several steps purportedly necessary for registration or information synchronization.

Notably, the scammers requested that the victim scan a QR code and place her citizen identification card on her phone screen, claiming this was necessary for "synchronizing personal information." This tactic was designed to obscure the screen, preventing the victim from noticing any alerts regarding money withdrawal or transaction details. The scammers then manipulated the situation by repeatedly informing the victim that the registration process was experiencing issues, thereby coercing her into scanning the QR code and transferring funds.

The fraudulent activity continued until the victim's account was depleted or she recognized suspicious activity. In response to this incident, the Hanoi Police have issued a warning to the public, advising against sharing personal information or identification images via phone or unverified websites. They recommend that individuals refrain from scanning QR codes, accessing unfamiliar links, or transferring money based on instructions from self-proclaimed government officials.

For any administrative procedures, citizens are encouraged to contact tax authorities, business registration offices, or relevant official departments directly and to only use official electronic portals. If individuals suspect they have encountered a scam, they should cease any money transfers and retain messages, phone numbers, website addresses, QR codes, and transaction histories before reporting to the nearest police station.