Legal News

[Taxation] DGT warns of fraudulent impersonation of tax authority officials

2024/03/28

Recently, the General Directorate of Taxation has obtained information on a number of scams perpetrated against taxpayers by impersonating tax authority officials during the tax filing season. According to the GDT, there are five common methods used by scammers

1. Call claiming to be from the General Directorate of Taxation or an official of the tax authorities and request the taxpayer to provide necessary information (e.g., photo identification) in order to receive assistance regarding tax reduction, tax refund, or tax return procedures. They will also guide you to install a fake smartphone application to receive information from the tax authorities.
2. Creating websites that look and function similar to the official websites of government agencies or companies, misleading taxpayers into believing that they are official websites
3. Spreading fake messages impersonating the Directorate General of Taxation
4. Make threatening phone calls impersonating the tax authorities or embezzle taxpayers’ assets in an attempt to defraud them
5. Impersonate authorities supporting public services over the phone and request taxpayers to provide information (e.g., identification photos). If the taxpayer provides the information, a fake link is sent to the taxpayer. Once accessed, hackers remotely control the taxpayer’s cell phone and use the information provided to log into the online bank account and make unauthorized withdrawals.

In light of the above, the DGT reiterates that it does not authorize any organization or individual other than the tax authorities to collect taxes on behalf of the tax authorities and reminds taxpayers of the following

1. If you receive such a call as described above, search for the official phone number of the tax authority (available on the tax authority’s website) and contact them directly for instructions
2. If you receive a message, check the content carefully and do not rush to reply or follow the instructions in the message. Taxpayers should also note that the official website of the General Department of Taxation uses “https” and the domain name “.vn” in Vietnam in its URL. (The website of the General Department of Taxation is https://www.gdt.gov.vn)
3. If you receive any contact that appears to be a scam, save those messages, call recordings, etc. Then, report them to the telecommunications carrier for processing, and at the same time, provide those evidences to the competent authorities of the Ministry of Public Security and the local tax authorities.

The above is a summary of precautions regarding fraudulent activities. Most importantly, all businesses and individuals should always be cautious. If you receive a suspicious phone call or message, even under threat, you should remain calm and not immediately provide information or follow instructions. In the event that the fraudulent activity is confirmed, it is necessary to immediately notify the competent Public Security Bureau and seek assistance.

References:
General Administration of Taxation website: https://www.gdt.gov.vn