Launched on July 30, nTrust is a free mobile application. Its developers have meticulously researched 24 common fraud schemes and their variations employed by scammers in Vietnam. This comprehensive understanding has been instrumental in designing the app's features.
Installing nTrust is straightforward. Android users can download it from the Google Play Store, while iOS users can find it on the App Store before following the on-screen instructions completes the setup.
nTrust now owns a database of known fraudsters, continually updated by various Vietnamese government agencies such as the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the State Bank of Vietnam, and other relevant organizations. It also connects to the databases of cybersecurity companies affiliated with the Vietnam National Cybersecurity Association and international anti-fraud organizations. However, the app's full potential also relies on user-submitted reports.
One of nTrust's most useful features allows users to create a "blacklist" of fraudulent or unwanted phone numbers. Users can add numbers to this list to block incoming calls. They can also opt to submit these numbers to nTrust's database to help protect others.
To use this feature, users must first access the “Phone Number Checking” tab on the app’s main interface before selecting the “Blacklist” section. Here they can enter new phones that they want to block as well as send those numbers under a report form to nTrust’s database.
Additionally, nTrust can scan a user's device for malicious applications. It provides a malware scanning feature via pressing the “Bug” icon on the main interface to identify and warn users about potentially harmful apps. The app also offers a web address checker to detect fraudulent, malicious, or phishing websites.
Since its release, nTrust has been downloaded over 150,000 times from both Google Play and Apple Store, and has over 100,000 active users. The app receives 3,000 – 5,000 reports daily, primarily regarding fraudulent or nuisance calls.
The data collected by nTrust is processed using artificial intelligence and cross-referenced with other databases. This has led to the addition of approximately 70,000 new records, primarily related to fraudulent or nuisance phone numbers.
Vu Ngoc Son, the chief architect of nTrust cum Technology Director of the National Cybersecurity Technology Corp (NCS), emphasized that data sharing is strictly compliant with Vietnam's personal data protection regulations (Decree No.13). User data is hashed and compared against hashed data in government databases. The results are then categorized as fraudulent, nuisance, etc., and returned to the user.
While nTrust is a valuable tool, it cannot completely prevent fraud. Users must still exercise caution and be aware of common scams. The app's primary function is to provide an additional layer of protection. To effectively combat online fraud, individuals should continuously educate themselves about new scams and contribute to building a community focused on fraud prevention.
One limitation of nTrust is that its malware scanning feature is not available on iOS devices due to Apple's app development policies. Apple maintains that iOS is malware-free (even though in reality there is still malware installed on these iOS devices) and does not grant developers the necessary permissions for malware scanning. Hopefully in the future, Apple will have more open policies with software developers. Only then can nTrust scan for malware on iOS products.
