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6 clusters · 14 sources · 41 days · First seen · Last updated

Vietnam eTax Mobile digital updates and identity theft

Overview

The Vietnamese General Department of Taxation has implemented digital updates to the eTax Mobile application to enhance security and simplify tax compliance. Initial updates focused on combating identity theft, where criminals use stolen citizen data to illegally register businesses. The app now allows users to verify if their personal information is linked to unauthorized organizations through the ‘Personal Information’ section and provides a ‘Send Feedback’ feature to report suspicious activity directly to authorities. Subsequent developments introduced an AI Chatbot designed to assist business households with tax declarations.

In response to ongoing fraud, tax authorities have launched a nationwide campaign to clean up tax identification number data. Authorities have issued urgent advisories for citizens to use eTax Mobile to review their tax identification numbers, following reports of widespread identity theft used to register ‘ghost’ businesses for tax evasion, smuggling, invoice trading, and illegal credit applications. In Hanoi, authorities disclosed over 150,000 businesses violating tax obligations, many established using stolen identities. Some taxpayers have also reported receiving unexpected land tax debt notifications via the app for properties they do not own.

Victims face severe consequences, including travel restrictions and massive tax debts. In Ho Chi Minh City, a resident named Nguyen Hong Chien has filed a lawsuit against the Business Registration Office seeking to revoke a fraudulent registration and claim damages exceeding 870 million VND. Chien discovered the theft after being informed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport that his exit from the country was suspended due to tax enforcement measures related to a company he never established.

Entities

eTax Mobile · Tax Department · Ministry of Finance · Tan Son Nhat International Airport · Can Tho

Timeline

  1. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Ho Chi Minh City resident sues business registration office over identity theft

    A Ho Chi Minh City man is suing the Business Registration Office for over 870 million VND after his identity was used to illegally establish a company, resulting in a travel ban.

  2. [CRIME] 4 sources
    Vietnam reports 4,000 cases of identity theft for illegal business registration

    Approximately 4,000 people in Vietnam have been victims of identity theft used to register fraudulent businesses, leading to tax liabilities and travel bans.

  3. [BUSINESS] 4 sources
    Tax authorities urge eTax Mobile use to combat identity theft

    Vietnamese tax authorities urge citizens to use eTax Mobile to check for identity theft and fraudulent business registrations used for tax evasion and illegal activities.

  4. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Vietnam tax authorities urge identity verification via eTax Mobile

    Vietnamese tax authorities are urging citizens to use the eTax Mobile app to check for fraudulent business registrations linked to their identities as part of a national tax ID cleaning campaign.

  5. [BUSINESS] 6 sources
    Vietnam Tax Department introduces AI chatbot for business households

    Vietnam's Tax Department has introduced an AI chatbot on the eTax Mobile app to help business households simplify tax declarations and manage revenue more effectively.

  6. [TECHNOLOGY] 4 sources
    eTax Mobile updates to help users detect identity theft

    Vietnam's eTax Mobile app has updated its features to allow users to check for unauthorized business registrations using their stolen identity and report fraud directly to tax authorities.

Sources

afamily.vn · baohatinh.vn · cafebiz.vn · cafef.vn · dientuungdung.vn · doanhnghiephoinhap.vn · kenh14.vn · soha.vn · thoibao.de · thoibaonganhang.vn · thoibaotaichinhvietnam.vn · tienphong.vn · tuoitre.vn · vtv.vn

This summary has been updated 5 times: see revision history