Spam Messages and Calls Plague Ho Chi Minh City Residents, Fueling Scam Fears

Spam messages and calls have become a daily torment for residents of Ho Chi Minh City, creating not only daily nuisances but also a constant fear of falling prey to financial scams. The relentless barrage of unsolicited communications is leaving many feeling harassed and vulnerable.

One resident, identified only as T.T.M.H., recounted a distressing experience where a stranger called demanding debt repayment, accurately naming her child and issuing threats. Shortly after, her Gmail account was compromised. This incident instilled a deep sense of caution, making her hesitant to answer unknown numbers or click suspicious links. She noted that her secondary SIM card, which lacks network management apps, receives an overwhelming volume of spam messages, sometimes five in five minutes, filled with strange characters and enticing links.

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At one point, in just 5 minutes, I received 5 messages from 5 different numbers, each message sent exactly 1 minute apart, filled with strange characters and enticing links.

Another resident, N.H., also faces a constant stream of spam messages promoting lucky draws and containing dubious links. The issue is compounded by the fact that these scam messages and calls often originate from registered mobile and landline numbers, despite network providers' efforts to verify subscriber information. Beyond the threat of scams, unsolicited calls advertising real estate, courses, and customer services frequently interrupt work. One individual, K., who must be available 24/7 for work, expressed exhaustion from constantly stopping his vehicle or pausing tasks to handle these disruptive calls. The fear of scams has even led to situations where children borrow friends' phones to call parents, only for the parents to refuse answering due to the unfamiliar number.

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Because of my job, I have to answer the phone 24/7 to receive instructions. Constantly having to stop my car on the road or pause work just to answer these harassing calls makes me extremely tired.