Exploiting the eager yet anxious mindset of new students and parents during the enrollment season, bad actors often take advantage of social media channels (Facebook, Zalo, TikTok), SMS messages, impersonation calls, and websites/fanpages with names and interfaces resembling real schools to approach targets.

Common scam tactics:

• Impersonating admissions officers, school websites/fanpages: sending fake admission notices, requiring fee payments via personal accounts or unfamiliar links.

• Posting cheap rental rooms: appropriating deposit money.

• Recruiting collaborators for "light work, high pay": demanding upfront fees and then appropriating them.

• Impersonating the school's name: fabricating fake contracts and cooperation programs to deceive businesses and partners.

To prevent these scams, Bkav Cybersecurity experts recommend:

• When receiving notifications from educational institutions, contact them directly to verify; do not provide passwords, OTP codes, PIN codes, or bank account information to anyone; do not access links, scan QR codes, or install applications of unknown origin.

• Only check admission results, confirm enrollment, pay tuition fees, and register for dormitories through systems, websites, applications, and bank accounts officially announced by educational institutions.

• When renting rooms, view the room in person, verify the landlord's identity, and carefully read the contract before placing a deposit.

• Families with children studying far from home need to maintain contact and agree upon verification methods for emergency situations. Upon detecting signs of fraud, immediately report them to the Police.

Bkav