Hanoi (VNA)ﷺ – Vietnamese citizens who fell victim to online scams, lost an average of 17.7 million VND (737 USD) per successful fraud case in 2023, according to a report on the nation's online scam landscape recently released by the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) and the Anti-Fraud Social Project in Vietnam.

The report is based on a comprehensive survey involving 1,063 Vietnamese people, aiming to provide a holistic view of the impact of online scams. It revealed that on average, the Vietnamese respondents faced 0.8 scam incidents in the past 12 months, with 29% reporting monetary damage. Facebook and Gmail emerged as primary channels for scams, affecting 71% of respondents, followed by Telegram (28%), Google (13%), and TikTok (13%). Investment scams were identified as the most common, reported by 13% of respondents. Extrapolating the data nationwide, GASA estimated that the total financial damage caused by scams in Vietnam could reach 391.8 trillion VND (16.23 million USD). The severity of the situation is underscored by the fact that 70% of Vietnamese individuals faced scams at least once a month, with 49% experiencing an increase in scams in the past 12 months.

Online scam trends up in past 12 months

According to the GASA's report, 55% of those surveyed expressed "very confident" in their ability to identify scams. On the other hand, 14% admitted feeling "completely unconfident" in the face of prevalent scams. The demographic breakdown of the survey showed a notable gender imbalance, with a higher proportion of men involved, particularly in the 25-34 age group, which includes those with university degrees. GASA Director Joriji Abraham highlighted that only 1% of total victims managed to recover the entire amount lost, and 54% suffered significant emotional impact. Despite this, 66% of victims chose not to report scams to authorities. The report emphasised the lasting impression of scams, particularly in identity theft (21%) and shopping scams (21%). Experts recommended exercising caution when receiving contacts from unclear sources to avoid falling victim to scams. However, dissatisfaction with the government's counter-measures was expressed by 29% of respondents, indicating the need for more urgent and effective measures. Looking ahead, GASA experts predicted that the trend of online fraud attacks would continue to rise in 2024 and beyond, potentially revolving around hot events and deceptive applications. They stressed the importance of enhancing awareness, improving digital literacy, and establishing reasonable reporting mechanisms to overcome challenges in an increasingly digitalised era. The resilience and strength of the Vietnamese people were highlighted as crucial factors in adjusting strategies to protect against scams and contribute to building a safer digital environment. Data from the Ministry of Information and Communications' Authority of Information Security Department indicated that in the first 11 months of the previous year, over 15,900 reports of fraud cases were received, with more than 91% related to impersonation and fraud in the banking and financial sector. GASA is a non-profit organisation that brings together policy makers, law enforcement agencies, consumer protection authorities, non-governmental organisations to share insights and knowledge regarding various scams./.