Hieu PC: Don't believe in virtual "saviors" when you have been scammed out of money

Many people have been tricked into transferring money online, but they continue to be tricked because they believe in virtual "saviors". Hieu PC warns and points out the sophisticated tricks.

Amidst the storm of information on social networks, many people are not only fooled once, but also continue to fall victim to the next traps when trying to "get their money back", "find a lawyer online" or ask someone to "help clear their debt". The more panicked and hasty they are, the easier it is to fall into the trap.

Cyber ​​security expert Ngo Minh Hieu (Hieu PC) - Director of the Anti-Fraud Project talks with reporters from Cong Thuong Newspaper. Photo: Thai Manh.

Therefore, understanding and properly understanding how to protect yourself in the digital space is necessary and urgent. In a conversation with Cong Thuong Newspaper, cyber security expert Ngo Minh Hieu (also known as Hieu PC) shared important warnings and advice, so that everyone can not only stay alert for themselves, but also help their family and friends escape the increasingly sophisticated scams.

Exposing the sophisticated tricks of "fake saviors"

In the hundreds of cases that Hieu approached and warned about, a recurring scenario made him feel heartbroken when users were tricked into losing money online, then became victims again, this time by the "fake saviors" who appeared everywhere on social networks.

Fraudsters prey on the victims' eternal weaknesses: gullibility, lack of technological knowledge, and in many cases, greed, believing that they can make money quickly, get their money back easily, or "recover" after the first scam.

Hieu PC shared: I hope everyone will understand that digital security starts with you, not with technology, not with software, but with alertness and self-control. Any information that promises to "get your money back" is suspicious, because that is not how a real lawyer or police officer works. Use your filter to stop and check, if you are still a little hesitant, you should consult an expert, ask your friends and do not rush to send any money."

There is no security software stronger than alertness and understanding - Hieu PC shares. Photo: NVCC

“If the scammer lures us to a link that does not end with gov.vn, we should absolutely not download any app, we should only download official apps. For example, App Store, Google Play Store to avoid installing malware, which will steal users' assets on their personal phones,” Hieu PC warned.

In fact, through elaborately staged websites, with advertisements that “commit to recovering 90% of the lost money”, “cooperate with authorities”, “confirmed by lawyer A, journalist B”… scammers have successfully exploited the panic and desire to “recover” of many victims. Many people who were scammed, less than 24 hours later, continued to lose more money because they believed in a fanpage called “Lawyer reclaims scammed money”.

Hieu PC warns: “No one can get back the lost money if the user is not vigilant from the beginning. The following scams are often more sophisticated than the first one, because this time the scammers do not need to trick “stranger”, but only need to pretend to be “trustworthy”. In the digital world, trust without knowledge to protect it is the most vulnerable and exploited thing.”

“They no longer regret money, but regret hope. The scammers target that fragile hope to strike a second and third time,” Hieu PC shared.

Be alert and slow down is the first "firewall" to know

“There is no security software stronger than alertness and understanding”, that is what Hieu PC always repeats in his articles, lectures on network security and in sharp status lines on social networks. Hieu PC advises users to prioritize looking up reputable platforms such as chongluadao.vn and reputable websites of the Ministry of Public Security , Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Science - Technology and Communications... where you can check whether a website, a link, an email address is trustworthy or not in just a few seconds.

Hieu PC also recommends: "Slow down and verify before acting. While most scammers take advantage of urgent emotions, we should stop and think. People should enable two-layer authentication for all bank accounts and social networks . Absolutely do not provide OTP codes, citizen identification cards, passport numbers or personal information to anyone, even if they claim to be "cyber police", "lawyers or anti-fraud journalists"... Besides, you can access official sources such as Chongluadao.vn, a platform built to check fake links with signs of fraud to verify information on the spot".

With his efforts to contribute to the community, Hieu PC has become an inspirational story, helping many people realize the importance of cyber security and personal responsibility when using the Internet. Photo: Thai Manh.

“In the digital age, cybercriminals only need a few lines of code to take advantage of your gullibility. Fraudsters can use artificial intelligence to imitate the voices of relatives, create fake websites that look exactly like the real thing, and even set up lawyer fanpages with carefully edited images and certificates. One wrong click can cost you everything. But more important than money, trust in the law and in people can also easily collapse,” Hieu PC added.

That is why Hieu PC has been warning for many years so that no one continues to fall into the scam trap. “No technology is absolutely safe, but if you learn to ask questions, verify, and be suspicious at the right time, you will protect yourself,” Hieu PC shared.

When trust is abused, only understanding, alertness and the need to “slow down a few minutes to learn” are the most sustainable “shields” for every social network user. And somewhere, there are still people like Hieu PC quietly planting flags on the digital front line to keep this world less toxic every day.

From international “notorious hacker” to cyber security guard

Ngo Minh Hieu, known to the online community as Hieu PC, was once one of the hackers sentenced to 13 years in prison in the US. However, after paying the price of his youth behind bars, Hieu PC returned to Vietnam and chose the courageous journey of redemption of a young adult: becoming a cyber security expert, using his deep understanding of the underground world to protect the community from sophisticated scams in the digital space.

Ngo Minh Hieu started the Chongluadao.vn project nearly 5 years ago, a community platform that helps users check, detect and report malicious websites, fake links or online fraud. This non-profit project quickly became a trusted address used by millions of people and was highly appreciated by the Information Security Department (Ministry of Science, Technology and Communications).

In 2022, Apple honored 43 people who contributed to this "giant" in finding security vulnerabilities in Apple's web server. The list was announced in May 2022 with an individual from Vietnam, Ngo Minh Hieu (Hieu PC).

Not only that, Hieu PC and the Chongluadao.vn project were honored to receive the Vietnam Talent Award 2023, and were directly awarded a certificate of merit by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the award ceremony. On social networks, Hieu PC currently has hundreds of thousands of followers, but what he does is not to become famous, but to speak out every day about the tricks that are causing the online community to lose money, lose trust, and sometimes even lose themselves.

Hieu PC has been threatened many times by scammers. He shared: “I am often attacked by scammers or scam centers. They smear, slander, edit images, and even send emails and messages via Facebook. They threaten that if I do not stop these activities, they will bomb my house. In general, they will find ways to harm me and my family. This job is quite dangerous because I am fighting against bad guys in the dark and I do not know who they are.”

Launched in 2020, the "Anti-Phishing" project encourages the community to detect and report malicious sites. In addition to the website, users can submit feedback via Facebook or the group's email. A team of experts will verify and compare before adding them to the "blacklist".

The project also provides a browser extension to warn when accessing fake or bad content websites.

To date, the "Anti-Fraud" project has supported 26,000 victims of online fraud and was honored in the Top 10 outstanding digital products for the digital society at the Make in Vietnam 2022 award.

Thanh Thao

Source: https://congthuong.vn/hieu-pc-dung-tin-vao-cuu-tinh-ao-khi-ban-da-bi-lua-tien-391544.html