Vietnam warns of criminals impersonating as tax officials

The tax department has advised the public that certain individuals are pretending to be state officials and employees to provide links and instructions that encourage users to install fake applications. — Bloomberg

HO CHI MINH CITY: The city’s Tax Department has warned taxpayers in Ho Chi Minh City to remain vigilant in light of reports of individuals impersonating tax agency officials to commit fraud.

Recent reports on social media have revealed the story of an individual who applied for a new tax code through the Ho Chi Minh City Tax Department’s application but was then targeted by a fraudster who claimed to be an employee of the tax department.

This individual was subsequently duped into downloading and installing software, resulting in the loss of all the money in her bank account.

The tax department has advised the public that certain individuals are pretending to be state officials and employees to provide links and instructions that encourage users to install fake applications.This allows the fraudsters to gain control of smartphones and steal personal and banking information for the appropriate property.

It should be noted that the tax applications deployed by the Department of Taxation are only available on Google Play and AppleStore.

The tax department has recommended that users contact the focal phone numbers of tax departments for support via the phone number listed on the tax department’s website when in need of information support. — Viet Nam News/ANN