Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Commercial banks have issued warnings tocustomers about examples of fraud that are common during Tet (Lunar New Year).

Vietcombank has warned its customers about the most common tricks used byfraudsters. According to the bank, fraudsters tend to contact account holdersby telephone, on social media or by email, pretending to be their relatives orofficials and asking these customers to transfer money to them.

They even pose as Vietcombank officials and ask for passwords to bank accounts.

As for those using e-wallets, swindlers may impersonate employees of e-walletservice providers and trick bank customers into providing information linked totheir bank accounts.

Vietcombank stressed that it never asks its customers to provide personalinformation, except when customers ask for the bank’s support and theinformation is needed to verify the customer’s identity. Also, the bank doesnot ask customers to provide passwords to bank accounts or one-time passwordsfor online transactions or to transfer money. Therefore, all such requests arefrom criminals.

The bank advised customers to keep passwords to their bank accounts private,consider whether transactions are safe, conduct transactions on officialwebsites and log out of accounts after carrying out transactions.

When suspecting fraudulent bank activities, clients should temporarily closetheir account or change their password before contacting the bank for furtherinstruction.

Techcombank said that many doing business online are victims of fraud, as theynormally display their bank account number and trading activities on Facebook.After obtaining this information, imposters might impersonate a bank or stateemployee to ask shop owners for their OTP code and then withdraw all money fromtheir accounts.

In order to protect themselves, Techcombank’s customers are recommended not toreveal security information related to their internet banking or use crackedsoftware to access the operating system of an electronic device. They are alsosuggested not to enter sign-in passwords or OTP codes on websites with unclearorigin or unfamiliar links. Finally, online trading via public devices is notencouraged at all.

Vo Do Thang, director of the Athena Network Security Center, said despitebanks’ warnings, many customers become victims of swindlers, so they should bemore vigilant for fraudulent transactions during the upcoming Tet holiday./.