Vietnam authorities warn of rising social insurance and traffic fine scams

Authorities in Vietnam are warning citizens about increasingly sophisticated scams involving impersonation of government officials. In Hanoi, fraudsters are posing as social insurance officers, contacting individuals to claim their health insurance cards are ‘erroneous’, ‘expired’, or ‘require data updates’. These scammers attempt to induce anxiety to trick victims into clicking malicious links, downloading unverified applications, or transferring money under the guise of card replacement fees.

Simultaneously, police have issued warnings regarding fraudulent messages sent via Zalo, Messenger, and SMS. These messages often impersonate traffic police or other authorities, claiming the recipient has outstanding traffic violations or ‘cold fines’ that require immediate attention. These scams direct users to fake public service portals to steal personal information, bank account details, and OTP codes.

Official agencies emphasize that social insurance authorities do not request account information, money transfers, or fees via telephone for paper card issuance. Citizens are advised to remain vigilant, avoid clicking unknown links, and refrain from providing sensitive data such as ID numbers or bank passwords to unverified sources.