HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Public Security and Google have jointly launched a national campaign to fight online scams amid rising concerns over the country’s fast-growing digital risks.

The Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and Google Vietnam on Thursday introduced a public awareness campaign called 'Stay safer online with the Ministry of Public Security and Google'.

The campaign is designed to educate internet users about how to identify and avoid online scams, with the support of content creators, digital experts and innovative tools.

In recent years, Việt Nam has seen a sharp increase in cybercrime.

According to the ministry, over 6,000 online scam cases were recorded in 2024 alone, with estimated losses exceeding VNĐ12 trillion (US$461.5 million). From February to May 2025, police discovered more cases with damages totalling over VNĐ1 trillion. Around 70 per cent of internet users have reported receiving scam calls or messages at least once per month.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyễn Bá Sơn, deputy director of the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention, emphasised that the rapid expansion of the internet and digital services has opened the door to more sophisticated and organised cybercrimes.

“Online scams not only cause financial loss, but also reduce public trust and pose a threat to national security, public safety and Việt Nam’s digital transformation,” he said.

He called for greater collaboration between authorities, international tech firms and the public, adding: “To succeed in this fight, we need strong cooperation from cross-border platforms. They must share data, apply new technologies and take active measures to detect and block scams early.”

The heart of the campaign is a series of online educational activities aimed at all internet users, especially vulnerable groups.

More than 200 popular YouTube creators in Việt Nam have joined the effort by producing videos that integrate anti-scam messages. Their stories will help millions of viewers better understand scam tactics and learn how to protect themselves online.

The campaign includes eight short videos made by cybersecurity experts from the Ministry and Google. The videos explain seven common types of scams, such as pretending to be schools, fake refunds, fake service payments, online shopping and travel scams, pretending to be police, romance scams and fake investment platforms.

Google’s role goes beyond awareness. Its Play Protect system has blocked over 4.5 million installs of apps suspected to contain malware on more than one million Android devices in Việt Nam.

The country is also the first where Google has implemented verified government apps on Google Play. So far, 110 such apps have been authenticated.

Marc Woo, managing director of Google Vietnam, reaffirmed Google’s commitment to working with authorities to address online threats and build trust in the digital space.

With nearly 80 million internet users – around 86 per cent of the population – and 72 million social media accounts, Việt Nam is embracing digital life at full speed. But with this growth comes the need for protection.

MPS has been stepping up efforts by blocking thousands of scam websites, sending hundreds of millions of warning messages to citizens, and enforcing new laws such as Decree 13/2023 on personal data protection. — VNS/BIZHUB