Beware of scams and traps set during Tet (Lunar New Year).
Impersonating delivery drivers, announcing "random" prize winnings, illegally exchanging small denominations of money, or the "mistaken money transfer" trick are becoming common scams during the Lunar New Year season. Just one moment of carelessness has cost many people in Nghe An province money, compromised their accounts, and even narrowly avoided legal trouble.
Shipping fee of 16,000 VND and a scam that cost 16 million VND.
In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, when online shopping demand increases and delivery activities become more frequent, scammers also "speed up" with a series of sophisticated schemes, exploiting people's busy and hurried mindset.
One of the tactics that is becoming increasingly prevalent isimpersonating a delivery driver(Shipper). Not long ago, N.D.D. (residing in Vinh Loc ward, Nghe An province) fell victim to a scam involving impersonating a shipper. According to D.'s account, she ordered an item online. A few days later, at the scheduled delivery time, she received a call from someone claiming to be the delivery company, requesting a shipping fee of 16,000 VND.
Thinking it was just a small amount, D. transferred the money. However, shortly afterward, she received another message notifying her that the "shipping fee discount payment mode had been activated." When D. responded that she no longer needed the service and requested to cancel, the scammers began to trick her with various fraudulent technical maneuvers such as entering a syntax, reporting system errors, and claiming incorrect login credentials.
After repeatedly following the instructions, D.'s account was compromised, resulting in the theft of 16 million VND.
Many people have reported that those impersonating delivery drivers often have quite detailed information about orders, delivery addresses, and payment amounts, making it easy for victims to lower their guard. If recipients hastily transfer money or click on suspicious links sent via text message, the risk of losing money and having their account information leaked is very high.
Fake lottery wins, exchanging small change, and the "mistaken transfer" trick.
Besides impersonating delivery drivers, the end of the year is also a time when lottery scams proliferate. Taking advantage of people's complacency, especially the elderly, students, and people in rural and mountainous areas, many people unexpectedly receive calls or messages announcing they have won valuable prizes such as cash, phones, motorbikes, etc.
However, to "receive the gift," victims are asked to pay fees, taxes, or provide personal information and bank account details. This is essentially a familiar scenario designed to steal money and personal data.
For example, at the end of December 2025, the Kim Bang commune police, in coordination with local residents, promptly thwarted an online lottery scam targeting a 9th-grade student in the area. The victim was H.T.N. (born in 2011). The incident began when N. accessed a "prize draw" link on social media and received a notification that she had won an iPhone 15 and 10 million VND in cash.
Shortly afterward, the perpetrators contacted her, demanding she transfer money to pay a "VAT fee" to complete the procedure for receiving the gift. Thanks to the vigilance of a nearby business owner and the timely intervention of the police, the incident was prevented, saving the student from losing her money.
At the same time, the demand for exchanging small denominations and new banknotes for Lunar New Year gifts has surged. According to a warning from the Nghe An Provincial Police, only banks, credit institutions, and the State Treasury are permitted to conduct currency exchange activities as regulated. Individuals and organizations charging a fee for currency exchange are acting illegally, posing risks of fraud, receiving counterfeit or low-quality money, and facing legal consequences.
Notably, a new form of fraud has recently emerged involving mistakenly transferring money. On February 13, 2026, Mr. NVM (residing in Tan Ky commune) unexpectedly received three consecutive transfers totaling over 20 million VND from unfamiliar accounts, without any prior notification or contact. Recognizing this as a significant amount of money with potential risks, and unable to personally go to the bank counter to handle the transaction the following day due to the weekend closure, Mr. M. proactively reported the incident to the Tan Ky commune police, requesting guidance on how to return the money according to regulations.
According to Mr. M, he had previously read many warnings about the "mistaken transfer" scam, where perpetrators intentionally transfer money and then contact the recipient via fake links or instructions to pressure them into returning the money, thereby stealing their account. "Being cautious to avoid legal trouble and losing money unnecessarily is essential," Mr. M shared.
Do not provide OTP, do not transfer money immediately.
Given the increasingly complex nature of cybercrimes, especially during the Lunar New Year holiday, authorities advise people to be vigilant and absolutely not be complacent when conducting online transactions.
According to a warning from the Nghe An Provincial Police, scammers often impersonate shippers, bank employees, call center staff, or e-commerce platform employees. They use excuses such as "urgent payment required," "customer not home," "system error," "returned order," etc., to trick victims into transferring money in advance or accessing fake links.
The police advise people to carefully check order information when shopping online; not to click on strange links; not to follow instructions from unknown phone numbers; and absolutely not to provide passwords, OTP codes, or bank security information.
Regarding "mistaken money transfers," people should not return the money at the request of strangers, transfer it to another account, provide personal information, or follow instructions given over the phone. Instead, they should proactively report the incident to the police or contact the bank directly for guidance on proper handling procedures, avoiding financial losses and legal risks.
Tet, the Lunar New Year, is a time for family reunions, but it's also a time when scams increase, preying on people's busy schedules and complacency. A single click of a link, a hasty bank transfer, or a moment of believing in a "prize" can cause many to lose all their money. Therefore, vigilance and alertness are the most important "shields" to ensure every family enjoys a safe and fulfilling Tet holiday.