Vietnam police warn against sharing personal ID photos on social media

The Public Security Department of Dong Nai City has issued a warning urging citizens to stop posting images of lost personal documents—such as identity cards, driver’s licences, bank cards and vehicle registration papers—on Zalo and Facebook groups. The police say that sharing clear photos of these documents enables high‑tech criminals to combine the data with information found online and carry out identity‑theft schemes, including impersonating government agencies, banks or financial companies.

Under the Personal Data Protection Law that takes effect on 1 January 2026 and the accompanying decree, the collection, use or public disclosure of personal data must have a legal basis and be limited to legitimate purposes. Police advise anyone who finds another person’s documents to hand them over to local police stations rather than posting them publicly, to protect the document owner from potential fraud or legal complications.