Changing social security numbers: People need to be wary of people impersonating insurance agencies

Since August 1, Vietnam Social Security (VSS) has been replacing social security numbers with personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards. Although the replacement has been implemented automatically by the database system, scammers have taken advantage of this to impersonate social security officers and ask people to provide information or update information on links of unknown origin with the purpose of appropriating property. Therefore, Vietnam Social Security has advised people to be more vigilant.

According to the provincial Social Insurance, from August 1, 2025, Vietnam Social Insurance will begin to replace social insurance codes with personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards of social insurance, unemployment insurance (UI), and health insurance (HI). The implementation of applying personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards to replace social insurance codes is to ensure the conditions for interconnection and information sharing between national databases, and at the same time create a platform for implementing electronic social insurance books and health insurance cards according to regulations.

The conversion to using personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards to replace social security numbers brings many benefits to participants.

Mr. Huynh Thien Hung - Deputy Head of the Department of Propaganda and Support for Participants, Provincial Social Insurance said: "Vietnam Social Insurance will implement the conversion of using personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards to replace social insurance codes according to a suitable roadmap and the database system will be automatically synchronized. Therefore, participants and beneficiaries of social insurance, unemployment insurance, and health insurance do not have to perform any additional procedures when transacting with social insurance agencies or when going to health insurance examination and treatment; do not have to change health insurance cards, social insurance books or VssID-Social Insurance number applications. During the conversion process, social insurance, unemployment insurance, and health insurance participants, pensioners, social insurance benefits and monthly allowances, agencies and organizations will continue to use social insurance codes and personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards in parallel when transacting with social insurance agencies, health insurance examination and treatment or looking up information. For new participants for the first time, they need to use personal identification numbers and citizen identification cards to declare. After Thereby, the system will automatically issue a social insurance code identical to the citizen identification code, and at the same time connect the VssID account - social insurance number and the VNeID electronic identification account".

Taking advantage of the fact that Vietnam Social Security is replacing social security numbers with personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards, recently, scammers have impersonated social security officers to ask people to provide information or update information on links of unknown origin with the intention of appropriating property. Therefore, the social security agency has advised people to be vigilant and not to access strange or unknown links; not to provide OTP codes, bank passwords or personal information to anyone, in any form (via phone, text message or strange links). People need to research and carefully check all information before making any transactions online. When there is a need related to social security and health insurance, people should go directly to the local social security agency for support. People and workers need to regularly update official information on social insurance, health insurance, unemployment insurance policies... on mass media, electronic information portals of the social insurance industry and state agencies.

People conduct transactions at the Provincial Social Insurance.

It is known that since 2023, Vietnam Social Security has synchronized the insurance database with the national population database. To date, the Vietnam Social Security system has authenticated more than 100.2 million citizen information in the database managed by Vietnam Social Security, of which about 91 million people are participating and enjoying social insurance, health insurance, and unemployment insurance, accounting for 99.23% of the total number of participants (excluding armed forces and military relatives) with the national population database. This is an important foundation for Vietnam Social Security to replace social insurance codes with personal identification numbers or citizen identification cards. Thereby, continuing to reform administrative procedures, creating more convenience for people, preparing to deploy social insurance books and electronic health insurance cards from 2026 according to the provisions of the Social Insurance Law 2024 and the Health Insurance Law 2024.

MAI HOANG

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/xa-hoi/202508/thay-ma-so-bao-hiem-xa-hoi-nguoi-dan-can-canh-giac-cac-doi-tuong-mao-danh-co-quan-bao-hiem-a0e2d14/