The trick of ‘cold fine of 50,000 VND’ to take over bank cards

Ms. Ngoc Ha (Hanoi) on April 25 said she received a text message from a domestic mobile number informing her that “your car has a violation”, then was asked to access a website for immediate processing.

Seeing the domain name with the word “Dichvucong”, she thought it was real and accessed it. At this time, the website with the domain name and interface “National Public Service Portal” announced that her car had violated the “Parking that causes obstruction” error, along with a fine of 50,000 VND. The website also has a feature that allows users to pay money immediately, by entering information such as card number, cardholder name, expiration date, and CVV code.

“Seeing that the amount was small, I wanted to pay it right away, but at that time I didn’t have my card so I couldn’t remember the information to enter, otherwise I would have lost all the money,” Ms. Ha said.

Last week, many people received similar messages. According to Hanoi City Police, this is a scam to take control of the card and withdraw money from the account, through texting messages informing them of unprocessed “cold fine” violations and asking people to access a fake link to check and pay the fine.

“This website has a link to an interface designed like the National Public Service Portal to create trust. When the victim enters bank card information (Card number, OTP code), the subjects will take control of the card and withdraw money from the account,” the warning stated.

Hanoi City Police also affirmed that there is currently no form of notification of violations of traffic order and safety via text message or phone call. In cases of violation, written notices will be sent, inviting vehicle owners, related organizations and individuals to the Police headquarters to work. In addition, people who want to look up administrative violations can visit the website of the Traffic Police Department or via VNeTraffic.

Fraud via text messages and fake websites has been going on for many years, but constantly changes in methods and scenarios, causing many people to be fooled. These messages can be distributed through fake BTS stations or unauthorized subscribers. Recently, network operators are confirming and authenticating subscriber information to prevent this situation of unauthorized SIMs.

People are advised to increase vigilance against websites impersonating banks, state agencies, e-commerce platforms or familiar services to steal accounts and money; Only access the official address, carefully check the domain name, security certificate and any unusual signs in the interface and language; Absolutely do not provide passwords, OTP codes, or personal information to any unverified website. When you suspect you have been scammed, you should lock your account and report to the authorities immediately.