'Online kidnapping': New trick of cybercriminals (Last article)

Reality has shown the sophisticated tricks of criminals using the "online kidnapping" trick, as well as the obsession and mental and material damage that many families have to bear.

Captain Nguyen Huu Linh, an officer of the Provincial Police Department PA05, propagates crime prevention fraud to students in the province. Photo: Contributor

Captain Nguyen Huu Linh, an officer of the Provincial Police Department PA05, propagates fraud prevention to students in the province. Photo: Contributor

In addition to propaganda work and raising awareness for the community, the police force and related sectors are gradually preventing this type of crime.

Early detection and prevention

On August 6, after receiving an urgent report from Mr. TVP (Dong Tam commune, Dong Nai province) that his son MP (19 years old) had signs of being kidnapped for ransom, Dong Tam commune police coordinated with the Criminal Police Department of the provincial police to investigate. Thereby, the police force determined that P. was not kidnapped, but was "locking himself" in a motel in Nghia Trung commune, Dong Nai province, so they came to "rescue" and hand him over to his family.

According to the police, this was a successful escape from a fraud “trap” thanks to the vigilance of the people and the prompt intervention of the police force. This incident shows that if the authorities react quickly, along with the smooth and calm coordination of the people, the chance of protecting the victim’s assets is quite high.

Through the above cases, Dong Nai Provincial Police advise people to be vigilant against scams in the form of "online kidnapping". Absolutely do not believe in calls or messages from numbers claiming to be police officers , prosecutors, courts... asking for personal information or money transfers. In addition, do not download software or applications according to instructions from strangers. When receiving notification calls from strangers, you need to calmly verify, then immediately contact the police to join in the verification.

Discussing solutions to prevent crimes, at the Scientific Workshop on ensuring security and order to effectively serve the integration and development of Dong Nai province in the new situation organized by the People's Committee of Dong Nai province on August 13, Colonel Le Manh Hung, Deputy Director of the Provincial Police, said: Recently, in the province, there has been a rise in the crime of fraud and appropriation of property on the internet with constantly changing methods and tricks, the level and consequences of damage are increasingly greater. To improve the quality and effectiveness of crime prevention and control in the coming time, the Provincial Police will focus on effectively implementing professional work to proactively identify the situation, thereby proposing substantial and fundamental solutions, from prevention to combat and eradication.

In addition, the police force will continue to strongly innovate its thinking on crime prevention and control. In particular, it will thoroughly apply advances in science, technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in crime prevention and control. In particular, the police force has identified cybercrime prevention and control as an important direction that must be focused on.

Graphics: Le Duy

Need community cooperation

As an officer participating in propaganda activities to prevent fraud crimes on the internet for students, Captain Nguyen Huu Linh, Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention (PA05) of the Provincial Police, said: To prevent fraud crimes, especially fraud on the internet, propaganda work needs to be promoted. It is necessary to promptly provide information and tricks of this type of crime to each student and citizen to raise vigilance.

According to Captain Nguyen Huu Linh, to do this task well, not only the police force, but also families, schools, organizations and unions need to join hands to help people raise awareness and understanding for prevention.

Regarding the Department of Education and Training, in order to promptly prevent crimes against students, on August 11, the department sent a dispatch to localities, schools, and educational institutions in the province to strengthen propaganda and warn about criminal tricks that take advantage of cyberspace to lure, entice, defraud, manipulate psychology, and "online kidnapping" children and students.

In particular, the Department of Education and Training requires units to closely coordinate with local police forces to strengthen propaganda and dissemination to teachers, students and students' families about the above-mentioned methods and tricks of fraud; exchange and share topics on trends, inevitability, benefits and risks of cyberspace, skills for safe network use, identification and handling of complex issues in cyberspace. The propaganda aims to raise awareness, prevention skills and coordination responsibilities between schools, families and functional agencies in the management and education of students. Close coordination between schools, families and relevant agencies and units in the locality in management, grasping the situation, promptly preventing and stopping the risk of students being scammed. Strengthen the exchange and sharing of information related to students with families to update the situation of students absent without clear reasons, suspected of being taken advantage of by criminals using cyberspace to defraud, threaten, lure and appropriate property...

In addition, units closely coordinate with the police force to make a list of students with difficult circumstances and individual manifestations at risk of being exploited and lured into committing crimes by cyber criminals to carry out specific prevention work. In educational institutions, there should be phone numbers of local police, ward/commune police chiefs, and hotlines of criminal on-duty officers so that if an incident occurs, it can be promptly reported and handled. Units and localities focus on reviewing and continuing to implement the direction of the Department of Education and Training on propaganda and dissemination of legal knowledge; solutions to prevent and combat crimes of fraud and appropriation of property in cyberspace.

In the context that forms of fraud and forgery (impersonating police, enforcement officers, tax authorities, electricity companies, etc.) via phone are still emerging and becoming more sophisticated, people need to be more vigilant, cautious and calm in handling situations, and absolutely not follow the instructions of scammers. In particular, credit institutions in the area need to coordinate well with the police in preventing and combating high-tech crimes; regularly update forms of forgery and fraud to inform and guide customers; train and practice bank officers and employees, especially transaction and customer care staff, to have measures to promptly handle situations when they arise.
Deputy Director of State Bank, Region 2 Branch Nguyen Duc Lenh
Navy (recorded)

From a legal perspective, lawyer Tran Cao Dai Ky Quan, Vice Chairman of the Provincial Bar Association, visiting lecturer at the Judicial Academy, said: The law has strict sanctions but handling "online kidnapping" subjects still faces many difficulties. To prevent this situation, it is necessary to strengthen legal propaganda for people, especially vulnerable groups such as teenagers, the elderly... Competent authorities tighten the management of mobile devices and network security; encourage people to be active in authenticating information; banks strengthen the review and management of bank accounts, ensure the authenticity of users, cancel account numbers that are not used by the owner...