After just a few exchanges of messages on social media, many people have lost tens or even hundreds of millions of VND when purchasing “cheap” airline tickets, bus or train tickets, or booking hotel rooms ahead of the Tet holiday. Without using sophisticated hacking techniques, scammers exploit victims’ urgency and fear of sold-out tickets to trick them into transferring money themselves.

Fraudsters often impersonate airline staff, transport operators, or hotel representatives, using fake fanpages and websites with names and images nearly identical to legitimate ones. They promote offers such as “internal tickets,” “last-minute tickets,” or “recently canceled rooms,” and request immediate deposits or full payment. Once the money is transferred, the scammers cut off contact or send fake tickets and forged booking confirmations.

As travel demand surges ahead of Tet, many people lower their guard when encountering unusually low prices. Bkav experts warn that to protect their assets, people should:

• Avoid purchasing tickets or booking rooms via unverified fanpages, unofficial websites, or personal accounts; instead, prioritize official websites and apps of transport providers and reputable booking platforms.

• Carefully verify the credibility of fanpages and websites before making transactions; cross-check page names, contact information, operational history, and user feedback.

• Be cautious of offers such as “seat reservation,” “internal price,” “last-minute ticket,” or “transfer now before it’s sold out.”

• If suspicious signs are detected, immediately stop the transaction, do not transfer additional money, and promptly report the case to the authorities.

Bkav