Warning of new scam: Scan QR code to receive money

Ho Chi Minh City police have just issued a warning about a new scam with extremely new tricks that have just appeared.

Accordingly, some people hang plastic cards with denominations of 30, 50, and 100 thousand VND on motorbikes or in front of people's houses.

They lure others by writing on the card number, the password is obscured and must be scratched off to know the information. The card also guides the steps to scan the QR code to contact customer service, provide the card password and then receive the corresponding amount of money written on the card.

According to Ho Chi Minh City Police, when people scan QR codes, their phones will be hacked, taken control of, and scammers can easily take money from their bank accounts.

Ho Chi Minh City police announced to alert people and let many people know about this new scam.

This form of fraud by scanning QR codes has appeared quite a lot, in many different ways when scanning QR codes for payment is becoming more and more popular in Vietnam. Specifically at some hospitals in many provinces, cities or crowded shops.

Taking advantage of the large number of patients and customers, scammers mix in to paste individual QR codes over the QR codes of hospitals and shops. Therefore, when patients and customers scan the code to pay, if they do not carefully check the name of the beneficiary unit or individual, their money will be easily stolen.

Also a way to deceive through QR code scanning, the subjects have countless tricks to approach victims.

In Ho Chi Minh City, there have been a number of cases of people suddenly receiving free gifts and scratch cards. When people scratch, they will of course win valuable prizes and the prize redemption process requires scanning the QR code. Fortunately, these cases were suspected of being sent by individuals or organizations of unknown origin, so they did not become victims of fraud.

In some places, scammers also use the trick of distributing flyers advertising fresh services, massage with QR codes to lure men to scan, access websites, download applications to see sensitive photos of models, service prices. In fact, the applications are spyware, malware, stealing personal information, bank accounts...

How to avoid scams?

There are currently countless tricks and fraud methods through cyberspace and telecommunications networks, especially recently the QR code fraud method has exploded, as payment by this form is extremely convenient and accessible to many people.

Faced with the above problem, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Information and Communications, many related units, and the police of provinces and cities regularly update and issue warnings about fraudulent tricks so that people know and increase vigilance.

Authorities recommend that people, to avoid being a victim of fraud, need to carefully verify transaction information when scanning a QR code before making any online money transfers. When scanning a QR code that leads to a strange link, it is necessary to carefully check whether it starts with https and the domain name before deciding to perform the next steps.

The State Bank's Payment Department and a series of banks have continuously issued warnings about credit card fraud through QR code scanning.

Accordingly, the subjects use many methods, mainly making friends through social networks or sending emails to exchange QR codes with victims. When users scan the QR code, they will be taken to fake websites that look exactly like the bank's website.

On this fake website interface, there will be requests for users to enter information fields such as: full name, citizen identification number, account, secret code, OTP code. Thereby, users will quickly have their money stolen.

The Payment Department of the State Bank recommends that people be cautious when scanning QR codes, especially QR codes that are posted, shared in public places, sent via social networks, or email.

People need to identify and carefully check the account information of the QR code exchanger, and carefully check the content of the website that the QR code leads to.

Users absolutely do not provide personal information such as bank accounts, social network accounts... and must use 2-factor authentication, use other protection methods for the types of accounts in use.

The Payment Department also recommends that units and organizations providing QR codes in payment activities and providing information should pay attention to disseminating information to users about fraudulent tricks and warnings to their customers; provide solutions to verify transactions with unusual signs; and regularly check QR codes posted at the locations of provision.