School warns of tuition refund scam

Recently, the situation of fraud using social techniques has increased, causing many people to lose their guard and fall into the trap of scammers.

Not long ago, the Ministry of Public Security also warned about the complicated situation of cybercrime using high technology to defraud and appropriate property.

Impersonating teacher, asking for bank account to refund tuition

According to the authorities, the subjects did not stop at just one form of fraud but also combined many different tricks, making it difficult for people to recognize. As a result, many families suffered heavy property damage, at the same time causing confusion and indignation in society.

Taking advantage of the information that Ho Chi Minh City and some provinces and cities exempted tuition fees for students from kindergarten to grade 12, criminals pretended to be teachers and contacted parents directly to request bank account information and OTP to refund tuition fees.

If the user does, the scammer will quickly log into the bank account and make the money transfer.

The way the scammers operate is quite simple but hits the psychology of parents.

Previously, cybercriminals also pretended to be teachers or medical staff, announcing that children were sick and asking for urgent money transfers for emergency treatment. With an urgent tone and accurate personal information, many people hastily followed the instructions without having time to verify.

How to prevent?

To identify this scam, it is important to note that the school never asks for an OTP code over the phone to refund tuition fees, as all official transactions are communicated through text or official communication channels.

Calls from unknown numbers with an urgent tone that demands immediate action are usually a red flag. While a scammer may know your child’s name or grade, that doesn’t necessarily mean the information is from the school, as personal data can be leaked elsewhere.

To protect yourself, parents should never share OTP codes or banking information with anyone over the phone, even if they claim to be teachers or staff. Please call the school's official phone number to verify the information before doing anything.

In case you accidentally provide OTP, contact the bank immediately to lock the account. At the same time, report to the police or school if you detect signs of fraud.

In general, tuition refund scams sound simple but hit the psychology of many people, requiring parents to be calm, careful and always alert to avoid falling into the scammers' trap.