Deepfake scams targeting Vietnamese workers and consumers with fake calls
Deepfake technology is being used to conduct fraud against Vietnamese consumers and workers through impersonation of family, friends and delivery workers via Facetime and phone calls. Reported losses include amounts ranging from 280,000 to 549,000 Vietnamese dong, with victims verifying their own identities through callback procedures.
What happened
Scammers in Vietnam are using deepfake technology to impersonate friends, family members and delivery workers to defraud consumers via Facetime, phone and video calls. A young man working abroad in Taiwan received a Facetime call from someone claiming to request money, but the caller was actually his friend standing next to him in an elevator, indicating a failed deepfake attempt.
Consumer Nguyα» n VΔn T. lost 549,000 Vietnamese dong after receiving two phone calls within 30 minutes claiming to be delivery workers with parcels at his workplace. Consumer Ngα»c Lan was called by someone claiming to be a delivery worker about a 280,000 dong order she did not place.
Reported impact
Individuals have lost money to fraudsters using deepfake technology to impersonate trusted contacts. Consumers are now questioning the reliability of video calls even from people they recognize, forcing them to call back contacts via saved phone numbers to verify identity.
Index analysis
Deepfake technology enables scammers to create convincing video and audio impersonations of friends, relatives and service workers. The attacks target workers abroad and consumers in urban areas of Vietnam who conduct online shopping and money transfers.
Governance controls
Consumers and media have advised securing personal accounts, verifying calls by redialing saved contact numbers rather than numbers provided by callers, and learning to identify deepfake video indicators. An AI application called 'AI Grandmother' reportedly keeps scammers on the line to discourage further fraud attempts.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
This record was researched and written by the Index from original reporting. Its sources are still being verified by an editor, and they are listed here once that check is complete. Until then the record carries no reviewer.