In Vietnam, alongside rapid digital transformation, cybercrime has surged, requiring close cooperation between law enforcement and the public to ensure cybersecurity.
According to data from Internet Data Reportal, an online platform that provides reports and statistics on digital behavior, about 5.65 billion people or equivalent to 68.7 percent of the global population now access the Internet for communication, shopping, education, research, and development. This explosion in connectivity has exposed billions worldwide to the growing threat of cybercrime.
In the United States, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported nearly 860,000 complaints of online scams in 2024, with total losses reaching US$16.6 billion, an increase of more than 33 percent from $12.5 billion in 2023. Older adults were the most affected, losing approximately $4.8 billion to online fraud last year. The most common scams involved investment fraud, fake tech support, romance scams, and business email compromise (BEC) attacks.
Online scams are also spreading rapidly across Southeast Asia. The 2025 Southeast Asia Scam Landscape Report, conducted by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) in collaboration with ScamAdviser and BioCatch, revealed that between August 2024 and August 2025, the region lost $23.6 billion to cyber fraud.
One of the most striking global cybersecurity shifts is the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a new “weapon” for cybercriminals. Large language models such as GPT and Gemini have been exploited to create customized malware, craft convincing phishing emails, and mimic user behavior to bypass authentication systems. This has made attacks more personalized, faster spreading, and far harder to detect.
At the same time, the rapid growth of the cryptocurrency market has enabled criminals to hide their identities and conduct illegal transactions. Cryptocurrency serves as the main channel for receiving payments from victims and trading stolen data. Many scams now operate transnationally, exploiting legal and jurisdictional differences between countries, which complicates investigation and prosecution efforts.
This global trend is clearly visible in Vietnam. On platforms such as Facebook, Zalo, X, and particularly Telegram, disguised prostitution rings operate openly under labels like “relaxation services,” “companionship,” or “sugar baby–sugar daddy.”
Groups such as Phuong Hoang Cac, Sailing Club, and Dubai Luxury Club function like organized networks with marketing staff and senior managers. Some groups have thousands to tens of thousands of members divided into tiers including newcomers, members, VIPs each with different access levels to private content. Administrators often charge posting fees ranging from VND50,000 to VND200,000, plus extra fees for successful matches. Criminals even use AI to generate enticing composite images and provocative short videos to attract followers.
Recently, police force in Bac Ninh Province issued a warning about scams targeting retirees and social insurance beneficiaries. On September 11, a local man received a phone call from someone impersonating a social insurance officer. The caller asked him to add a Zalo account named Manh Hai for assistance with pension and benefit payments. The scammer then directed the Bac Ninh man to log into the VNeID and VssID apps, sending him a fake digital insurance card complete with official logos and QR codes. Another person, posing as a department head appeared via Zalo video call and instructed him to transfer all his savings for verification. Trusting the impostors, the old man complied and lost his entire pension.
These examples illustrate how cybercriminals are diversifying their tactics, leveraging advanced technologies to evade detection. Colonel Le Khac Son, Deputy Director of the Criminal Police Department under the Ministry of Public Security, noted that in the third quarter of 2025, online fraud cases had become more sophisticated. Though the total number of cases decreased, fraud accounted for more than 50 percent of all crimes of which 59 percent were online scams. Offenders often exploit citizens’ curiosity and trust to commit crimes.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, during the first eight months of 2025, police detected nearly 1,500 online fraud cases, causing losses of over VND1.66 trillion. Authorities also identified more than 1,500 online gambling or advertising channels, another 1,500 related to cryptocurrency transactions, and nearly 200 promoting the sale or use of narcotics.
Lieutenant Colonel Trieu Manh Tung, Deputy Director of the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention, observed that as Vietnam accelerates digitalization and technological adoption for socio-economic development, the threat of cybercrime will inevitably rise. The Lieutenant Colonel revealed that some groups even view cyberspace as their means of livelihood noting bad guys’ methods and tactics are becoming increasingly complex.
The reality is that Vietnam is not alone as cybercrime is a global challenge. Given the borderless nature of cyberspace, criminals can operate anywhere and target anyone. Without cooperation among law enforcement agencies and international partners, no single nation can combat this threat on its own.
According to the research and communication organization specializing in cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Ventures (USA), the global economic damage caused by cybercrime is estimated to be around $9.5 trillion in 2024, and it may rise to $10.5 trillion in 2025, a figure that exceeds the GDP of most major economies.
