Vietnam banks warn of fake transfer scams and close dormant accounts

fake transfer scams AI phishing emails dormant account closure low‑balance accounts Vietnam banks

The police in Vietnam have issued warnings about increasingly sophisticated fraud targeting both individuals and businesses. Scammers forge screenshots of successful bank transfers or create AI‑generated emails that closely mimic legitimate corporate correspondence, urging victims to change payment details or transfer money immediately. Authorities advise recipients to confirm that funds have actually entered their accounts before delivering goods or processing payments, and to avoid sharing OTPs, passwords or personal data.

At the same time, several commercial banks, including NCB and LPBank, are conducting a sweeping review of inactive payment accounts. Accounts that have had no transactions for 12–24 months and hold balances below VND 20,000 will be closed between July and August. Customers are urged to keep accounts active by making any transaction, maintaining the minimum balance, or contacting their branch before the scheduled closure date.

Both initiatives aim to curb financial fraud, reduce the risk of money‑laundering through dormant accounts, and protect the integrity of Vietnam’s payment system.