71 year old man went to the bank to withdraw 7 billion VND, bank staff immediately noticed something unusual

A 71-year-old customer almost transferred VND7 billion in savings to a scammer after being threatened. Bank staff promptly discovered the incident and, together with local police, persuaded the customer to stop the transfer.

Fraud targeting seniors on the rise

The incident that occurred at Agribank Vung Tau Branch in May this year is proof. Bank staff promptly detected and prevented a fraud, helping to protect assets worth 7 billion VND for a 71-year-old customer reflecting in Ward 9, Vung Tau City (now Tam Thang Ward, Ho Chi Minh City).

Noticing that the customer was acting hastily and unusually anxious, the teller and controller approached and talked to find out, suspecting signs of fraud.

Discovering that a customer was being threatened and manipulated by a group of strangers with the risk of losing a large amount of property, the bank staff immediately contacted the ward police to coordinate the handling, reassure the customer and clarify the fraudulent nature of the incident so that the customer could understand.

After being explained, the customer felt reassured and decided not to make the money transfer as requested by the bad guy, preserving the 7 billion VND that the whole family had saved for many years.

Also at Agribank, on June 12, Ms. L., over 70 years old, went to Nha Nam Transaction Office, Tan Yen District, Bac Giang (now Nha Nam Commune, Bac Ninh Province) to withdraw all of her savings of 325 million VND, then returned to the bank to request to transfer the entire amount to her "son" with unusual signs of anxiety and stress.

Suspecting signs of online fraud, bank employees proactively informed Nha Nam town police to coordinate verification.

Illustration: Nam Khanh

Through discussion, the police determined that Ms. L. was being asked by a group of people to impersonate police officers and transfer all her money to a strange account to be released on bail and prove her innocence in a fake case.

The subjects continuously threatened and asked her to keep the matter absolutely secret, not to tell her relatives or the bank. Thanks to the timely discovery and close coordination between the bank and the local police force, the incident was prevented, protecting the customer's assets absolutely safe.

Also recently, Agribank staff at Mai Son Branch ( Son La ) and Phuong Lam Branch (Hoa Binh) also helped customers escape spectacularly from being scammed out of 220 million VND and 400 million VND respectively with similar tricks.

According to information from Agribank, in 2024, professional and operational units detected, prevented and handled 68 system account information leaks; Prevent 104 fake brand pages, defrauding customers; supported the handling of 319 cases of customers being scammed and losing money;...

Recurring impersonation scam

Despite repeated warnings, the impersonation of police, statements, tax authorities, electricity or bank employees to commit fraud continues to recur.

The subjects often ask people to download applications such as VNeID, VssID, eTax..., then guide them on how to change passwords, authenticate OTP, pay for public services... to steal personal information and appropriate property.

Faced with this situation, the authorities affirmed that they do not require people to operate via phone, text message or social network. People need to be alert and vigilant against any unusual calls or messages.

Another common form of impersonation is when someone impersonates a bank employee, calls or texts via Facebook or Zalo with the excuse of "verifying information" or "upgrading account"...

The subject then sends a link containing malicious code, asking customers to click to log in, update information or download strange applications. From there, the malicious code penetrates and takes control of the device, they will drain all the money or use that bank account for money laundering and fraud purposes.

Many people are also invited by strangers to rent or buy their bank account numbers at high prices to use for fraud purposes.

Banks also simultaneously issued warnings to customers not to download applications from strange links or websites. Absolutely do not share confidential information (passwords, OTP codes, account numbers, etc.) with anyone. Always use the latest version of the mobile banking application. Do not save images of ID cards, bank accounts, and passwords on mobile phones.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/cu-ong-71-tuoi-suyt-mat-7-ty-neu-nhan-vien-ngan-hang-khong-phat-hien-2417537.html