Vietnam police warn against identity‑theft and vacation‑ownership scams

Police in Tuyen Quang province reported that a resident of Quảng Nguyên commune was contacted by callers claiming to be Hanoi police officers. The fraudsters asked her to send a new citizen‑ID photo, a personal portrait and a bank‑card image via the Zalo app, threatening legal action over alleged drug‑trade misuse of her ID. Intervention by her son led to a police report, preventing the loss of personal data. Experts said these three image types are commonly targeted for identity theft and financial fraud.

Separately, the Hanoi Police have indicted 187 individuals in 21 cases linked to the sale of so‑called “vacation ownership” contracts across 23 companies. The scheme allegedly defrauded about 500 victims of more than 181 billion VND by selling promises of future vacation benefits that never existed. Authorities say the scams exploit consumer hopes for quick financial gains and improved lifestyles, using deceptive marketing and contracts that shift risk to buyers.