How can we prevent online fraud?

The proliferation of online activities has created numerous opportunities for tricksters. Some Facebook users say that people impersonating Lao Telecom staff called them and sent a six-digit number that could be used in exchange for gifts from the company. However, this is a scam and use of the number can allow people to hack into mobile phones and get hold of personal information. Vientiane Times asked around for people’s thoughts on this disturbing trend.

 

Ms Minta, a resident of Luang Prabang province: We all know that modern technology enables us to get information more quickly and makes day-to-day living easier. But some people use social media for nefarious purposes and carry out fraudulent acts for their personal gain. To be safe, we need to read all the details of a message carefully before deciding to do something and should make enquiries if we notice anything strange in our account. And if we lose something because of suspected criminal activity, we should inform the police.
 
Mr Chansamone Keokhampha, a resident of Chanthabouly district, Vientiane: I think there should be a special unit to deal with online fraud. Nowadays there are a lot of criminals who cheat people in many ways. The police should arrest those involved and penalise them. Users of social media should not post or share their personal details because this makes them vulnerable to fraudsters and criminals.
 
Ms Soukanya, a resident of Vientiane: I have had this kind of experience but fortunately I realised what was going on before any damage was done. I’d like to remind all users of social media who are considering transferring money or carrying out any requested financial transaction to make enquiries before doing so and check that the request is genuine. Make a call to your friend, to ensure that what you’re giving gets into the rights hands and does not go to a fraudulent party. It’s important to remember that we can’t trust everything we read on social media. Some of the stuff that’s posted is true but some is not, so we should think carefully to make sure we’re not cheated.

Ms Naly Mounmixay, a resident of Xaythany district, Vientiane: This is an era of technology but Laos is not as sophisticated as other countries. There are still a lot of people who do not understand the intricacies of technology and can easily be deceived, especially when money is involved. In the past I was cheated when I donated some money to what I mistakenly believed was a good cause. So now I don’t trust anyone I don’t know. If I transfer money, I carefully check all the details before doing anything. I’m afraid of what can happen, so I’m always careful and ask for more information before paying out any money.
 
Mr Kien, a government official in Sisattanak district, Vientiane: I think scammers are terrible and these days there seem to be many of them, both online and in real life. If you’re not careful, you can easily fall victim to a scam. It’s happened to many people, including me. Before going ahead with any financial transaction, we should look into the situation and check with our friends to ascertain that any request for help is genuine, to ensure we are not cheated. To prevent problems, we should all be more careful about everything we do.

By Lamphone Pasanthong
(Latest Update August 22, 2022)