Family - a stronghold against fraud "traps"

Lose money, get sick long term

Ms. Ngoc Lan, residing in Cho Lon Ward (HCMC), said that the mother-in-law of a colleague had just received a phone call from a “fake police officer” informing her that she was involved in a money laundering and drug trafficking ring. This person asked her not to tell her children and grandchildren and to transfer hundreds of millions of dong from her savings account (which she had truthfully told the scammer) for them to check. If the money was clean and not related to the crime ring, it would be returned. She was so scared that she couldn’t eat or sleep, and the next day, she secretly went to the bank to withdraw money without her children’s knowledge. Luckily, the bank staff discovered it and promptly reported it to the police, so she escaped the scam.

However, not everyone is so lucky. A young female worker in Dong Nai reported to the authorities about depositing money to receive extra work online from a (non-existent) travel agency in Ho Chi Minh City. They lured her into depositing money many times, totaling nearly 250 million VND, while the nominal profit of more than 50 million VND could not be withdrawn. After that, the scammer deleted the account and disappeared. The profit disappeared, but the debt she had to bear was real.

A nutritionist in Ho Chi Minh City indignantly shared on social media the story of her aunt who was harmed. She has been retired for decades, lives in the countryside, and has good economic conditions, so her house is always full of dairy products and functional foods. Her house is always full of all kinds, including calcium-supplemented milk, milk for diabetics, etc. Ironically, the more milk she drinks, the more signs of Alzheimer's (dementia) appear. After checking some milk boxes, this doctor discovered that the nutritional content was lacking, not as advertised, and there were signs of counterfeiting. Obviously, not only did the doctor's relatives lose money buying fake milk, they also spent a lot of money on medical treatment because they had relied on milk of unknown origin for many years. "Old people are naturally prone to feeling sorry for themselves, and those who sell functional foods often take advantage of this to entice them. They come to confide in each other, and the elderly are not on guard, and are ready to buy to support them right away...", this doctor shared.

Accompanying loved ones

According to many experts, the role of relatives in the family is very important, as the glue that connects family relationships, detecting abnormalities of parents, children, and each member. Today's life is too busy with many worries, so family ties are more fragile, making it easier for bad guys to take advantage of them to commit fraud. As in the case of the doctor's aunt mentioned above, her children are all successful, working far away, leaving everything to the maid. Because she is lonely, she turns to people selling functional foods and fake milk because they talk very well and know how to care for the elderly. By the time she discovers she has been scammed, it is too late. Or the case of the female worker in Dong Nai is the same. This young mother is raising a small child, has financial difficulties, and needs to work extra, so she falls into the "trap" of fraud.

In addition, the situation of celebrities participating in advertising fake products (such as milk that helps children gain weight, increase height, increase appetite, etc.) is also rampant on social networks. Trusting these individuals, many parents enthusiastically support them. When the authorities expose the truth, many young mothers can only feel sorry, "I have harmed my child."

Mr. Nguyen Viet Hong, Vice President of the Ho Chi Minh City Consumer Protection Association and General Director of Vina CHG Company, said that the current fraud situation is diverse, including transnational "corporations" that scam from East to West. If not careful, anyone can become "prey". In that context, families and relatives should connect and share information to be vigilant and prevent fraudulent and deceitful acts. Because besides the efforts of the authorities, the family is also the most important stronghold to protect loved ones from external threats.

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/gia-dinh-thanh-tri-truoc-bay-lua-dao-post807646.html