Users continue to fall prey to online scams

Below are 5 new scams that users are warned about:

Tricks to lure people to watch movies and vote online for a fee

The Hanoi Police have continued to warn about the fraudulent appropriation of property through the paid invitation to watch and vote for movies online.

After getting to know the victim through Facebook, the scammer invited them to download the Telegram app to watch and vote for movies online. The first few times, the scammer paid a small amount of money into the victim's account to gain trust. After that, they gave many reasons for the victim to deposit more money and then took possession.

The Information Security Department recommends that people proactively verify the identity of the subject before transferring money; do not share sensitive information; do not access strange links or download applications of unknown origin.

Using AI to impersonate celebrities to scam

The situation of celebrities being impersonated for malicious purposes on social networks is quite common. The common feature of these fake pages is that they often add the words 'official', 'FC' or a fake blue tick next to the artist's name.

Actor Khoi Tran was recently scammed by NVS using his image and creating a fake Facebook account. This subject also used AI to fake his image, voice and make video calls to build trust with the victims, thereby tricking them into transferring money.

Noting that everyone should check the authenticity of information about the artist, the Information Security Department also recommends that users do not follow instructions, do not transfer money to strangers; do not access strange links; and do not share bank account numbers, OTP codes, passwords...

Impersonating Google employees to steal gmail accounts

Gmail users have just been warned about a scam that impersonates Google employees to send messages and call to notify that their accounts have been hacked and need to perform account recovery operations.

Users are advised to carefully check links and email addresses; limit sharing sensitive personal data online; do not access strange links and do not follow instructions from strangers.

In addition, when receiving suspicious messages or calls, users need to immediately block and report to authorities the email address and phone number suspected of being a scam for verification and prevention.

Fake animal rescue center scam

An animal rescue center in the US has just been targeted by a group of people impersonating social media channels to approach victims with lost pets in order to steal their property.

In addition to posing as 'emergency rescue team' staff to notify the victim's pet of an accident and being in critical condition, the subjects also used AI to create images of the victim's pet in a hospital setting, operating table and request to transfer hospital fees.

Advice for people when encountering the above situation is to stay calm, verify information; do not provide sensitive information, personal data, and do not transfer money without verifying the identity and work unit of the subject.

Text message scams on the rise

Update on the increase in text message scams in the Philippines, experts said that these scams mainly involve luring in 'easy jobs with high salaries', announcing winning prizes, and inviting to buy products at great discounts. When clicking on fake websites and providing personal data, victims can have their information and accounts stolen.

The Information Security Department recommends that people be cautious of messages inviting them to participate in investments, perform tasks to earn money, announce winning prizes, or sell products at incredibly low prices; do not provide personal information or transfer money without verifying the identity of the subject; and limit sharing personal information and sensitive data online.