Vietnam warns of AI‑driven scam messages impersonating officials across Southeast Asia

Vietnam’s cybercrime unit has issued an urgent alert about high‑tech SMS scams that mimic government agencies, banks and telecom providers. The fraudulent texts use simulated mobile‑tower signals and include malicious links that install malware to steal personal data and funds. Authorities advise citizens never to click unknown links, to avoid sharing OTPs or personal details, to verify official sites end in “.gov.vn”, and to report suspicious messages with screenshots.

The warning comes amid a wave of AI‑generated deepfake frauds across the region. In Singapore, a fabricated Zoom meeting featuring a lifelike AI replica of Prime Minister Lawrence Wong fooled a victim into transferring US$3.8 million. Similar deepfakes of Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and the Philippines’ President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. have lured victims into paying tens of millions of local currency. Interpol has identified AI‑aided crime as a growing threat in Southeast Asia, highlighting the need for stronger safeguards against increasingly convincing digital impersonations.