Investors are advised not to engage in stock investments or other forms of investment through unofficial applications, as cybercriminals have become very good at creating deceptive links and applications that resemble those used by legitimate organisations and individuals. — Photo tinnhanhchungkhoan.vn
The prevalence of high-tech fraud is becoming a growing concern, as criminals employ sophisticated tactics to deceive unsuspecting victims. A recent case in Bình Phước Province highlights the severity of this issue.
On Tuesday, the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control Department of Bình Phước Provincial Police received a report from V.T.T, a resident of Tân Phú Ward in Đồng Xoài City. She fell victim to a high-tech scam, losing over VNĐ1 billion.
To make matters worse, she then became ensnared in a 'cash back' service trap, resulting in an additional loss of more than VNĐ300 million.
According to the details of the case, V.T.T regularly used her personal Facebook account to connect with people and engage in conversations. Approximately three months ago, she befriended an individual who called themself Nguyễn Hoàng Nam on Facebook.
By March 20, 2024, Nam introduced V.T.T to a stock investment opportunity through the website https://mexcglobaliapp.vip, promising profits ranging from 10 per cent to 30 per cent and she decided to participate.
Subsequently, Nam provided her with a web link, https://mexcglobaliapp.vip, and told her how to register for an account. From March 21 to March 28, 2024, V.T.T made nine money transfers to bank accounts managed by the website's 'customer care' department, totalling VNĐ350 million. She received eight order codes as per the instructions.
Following these transactions, V.T.T's MEXCGL account displayed a balance of VNĐ385 million, including the principal amount and profits. She attempted to withdraw the profits to her personal bank account and successfully withdrew VNĐ35 million.
Believing in the legitimacy of the stock investment website, V.T.T continued investing to generate further profits. From April 2 to April 9, 2024, she made an additional seven investment transfers, totalling VNĐ838 million.
However, when she tried to withdraw the principal amount and profits this time round, she encountered difficulties. Seeking assistance from the 'Customer Care' department, she was informed that in order to unfreeze her account, she needed to deposit a verification fee, disbursement fee and insurance fee.
At this point, V.T.T became suspicious that she had fallen victim to a scam, losing a total of VNĐ1.18 billion. Consequently, she ceased further investments.
Another trap
On April 14, 2024, V.T.T was contacted by someone named Quỳnh claiming to be from a finance company specialised in recovering funds for online scam victims.
V.T.T paid a fee of VNĐ26 million to investigate and recover her VNĐ1.18 billion, which, according to Quỳnh, was under investigation by the police and tax authorities.
However, she was then asked to make an additional payment of VNĐ26 million for a second order code. After the payment, V.T.T was allowed to join a group of three individuals who demanded VNĐ260 million to settle and disburse the funds.
If she paid later, she would be subject to a 20 per cent VAT fee of VNĐ678 million. Unable to afford the amount, V.T.T expressed her intention to withdraw, but the group pressured her for payment.
Suspicious of another scam, she filed a complaint with the Department of Cyber Security and Crime Prevention, and the police are currently investigating the case.
Beware
Bình Phước Provincial Police has advised the public to increase their awareness of property appropriation fraud schemes based on this recent case warning that it is crucial not to engage in stock investments or other forms of investment through unofficial applications, as cybercriminals will create deceptive links and applications that resemble those used by legitimate organisations and individuals.
They added that individuals need to promptly report any information about cyber scammers or victims they come across. Reporting and denouncing these kinds of cases to the police can help prevent and regulate the situation, leading to prompt investigation and legal action. — VNS