Huy Duc from Tan Binh District of HCMC recounted recent experiences of receiving calls from scammers posing as electricity workers, threatening disconnection for unpaid bills and demanding payment via links and QR codes.
Discovering the electricity company does not use these methods, he confronted them, facing verbal abuse after that. Vietnam Electricity Corporation, aware of these scams, has issued alerts and deployed staff for door-to-door warnings.
In a separate incident, Phuong Lan from District 4 of HCMC received a message from a purported friend abroad requesting urgent financial assistance for another friend allegedly hospitalized while travelling in Vietnam, requiring nearly VND70 million (US$2,800).
The “friend” sent supporting images, a hospital account number, and promised repayment with a bonus, even making video calls and sending voice notes. Despite familiar visuals and audio, poor video quality, audio anomalies, and inconsistencies in the provided documents, like a non-hospital transfer account, exposed the scam.
According to the Authority of Information Security (under the Ministry of Information and Communications), online scams are intensifying during the Tet period, consistently aiming at financial gain. Capitalizing on Tet-related trends, fraudsters are creating counterfeit fan pages for various competitions and programs, enticing victims to register, perform fabricated tasks, and subsequently transfer funds, before abruptly dismantling the fraudulent pages.
The Authority has also identified counterfeit websites mimicking established e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Dien May Xanh, as well as fraudulent Netflix and express delivery service websites, designed to harvest personal data and facilitate fraudulent activities.
Ngo Tran Vu of Nam Truong Son Security Co. warned that phishing attacks remain prevalent. Perpetrators frequently impersonate banks, service providers, electronic payment systems, and other organisations.
“While earlier phishing attempts were often rudimentary and easily detectable, advancements in large language models enable cybercriminals to craft highly convincing messages and websites with impeccable grammar, logical structure, and fluent prose, rendering these scams significantly more difficult to identify,” Ngo Tran Vu explained.
Phuong Lan’s case involved deepfakes, including AI-generated synthetic voices. Kaspersky’s Vo Duong Tu Diem explained that cybercriminals exploit such technology to request money or data, leveraging trust for sophisticated scams. They can create fake videos from single photos, using AI for facial swaps, lip syncing, and adding realistic voices.
In early 2025, the Authority of Information Security’s systems recorded over 7,000 reports of online fraud from Vietnamese internet users, forecasting a continued surge in such activities.
The Authority urges the public to exercise heightened vigilance and recommends verifying information upon receiving unsolicited calls by contacting relatives directly through known numbers; refraining from hasty fund transfers based on video calls or social media messages; and exercising caution when sharing personal data online, limiting the publication of personal images and videos.
HCMC unveils AI city initiative
At the 2025 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland, HCMC and Vietnam’s CMC Corporation unveiled an initiative to establish the world’s first AI city model. The side forum, entitled “AI.X for the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” was co-organised by the Vietnam National Innovation Center (NIC) and CMC.
At the event, Vice Chairman Vo Van Hoan of the HCMC People’s Committee affirmed that HCMC is not only Vietnam’s largest economic hub but also a breeding ground for innovation. Leveraging over a decade of AI research and development and the robust technological foundation of its AI ecosystem, CMC will serve as a strategic partner in realising HCMC’s ambition to become a leading global AI city.
Chairman Nguyen Trung Chinh of CMC Corporation asserted that AI.X is not merely a technological undertaking but a crucial element in shaping an intelligent era where technology serves humanity, promotes sustainable development, and unlocks transformative opportunities for global enterprises.
The WEF forum attracted over 200 international delegates, including representatives from major organisations such as Google, Global AI Corp, SAP, KPMG, and WEF, as well as leading global experts and investors.
