Authorities have prosecuted multiple individuals involved in online fraud cases using sophisticated schemes targeting students and people seeking foreign language certificates or assistance with updating personal information.

According to investigations, the suspects exploited the demand for certificates such as IELTS and PTE by advertising “proxy test-taking” and “guaranteed certification” services on social media. After gaining victims’ trust, they requested advance payments of between VND 30 million and VND 36 million, then appropriated the money. The total amount stolen reached tens of millions of Vietnamese dong.

Another tactic involves impersonating police officers or government officials and requesting that citizens “update their information” on the VNeID application. The scammers instruct victims to connect via Zalo, then ask them to share their screens and provide banking OTP codes in order to take control of their accounts. One such case resulted in losses of approximately VND 142 million.

These acts are subject to prosecution under Articles 290 and 174 of the 2015 Penal Code.

Bkav cybersecurity experts noted that these scams directly exploit exam-related pressure and the lack of cybersecurity awareness among young people.

To reduce risks, users should:

• Never trust any form of “proxy test-taking” or “guaranteed pass” services for foreign language certificates.
• Do not provide OTP codes, passwords, or any banking information to anyone, even if they claim to represent government authorities.
• Do not share your phone screen or grant device access to strangers.
• Only carry out administrative procedures and information updates through official applications and authorized channels.

Scam campaigns are increasingly targeting students and young people. Therefore, families and schools should proactively equip them with cybersecurity knowledge, helping them recognize warning signs of fraud at an early stage and improve their ability to protect themselves online.

Bkav