Over the past month, Da Nang Water Supply Joint Stock Company (Dawaco) and authorities have recorded numerous cases of individuals being targeted by scammers. The common tactic involves calling to demand re-registration of utility contracts using the new Citizen Identification Card (CIC), claiming that paper household registration books and old identity cards have been canceled.
Using real information to build trust and lure victims via Zalo
Scammers often know customers' names and addresses to build trust, impersonating Dawaco staff. They request to connect on Zalo to "re-sign contracts" or "update payments," while threatening to cut off water supply if their demands are not met.
A victim in Da Nang in late March lost approximately 220 million dong. The individual received a call instructing them to switch to online payment methods and was then asked to perform biometric authentication via an unfamiliar link. During the process, the scammers gained control of the banking application and drained the account.
In Thanh Khe ward, a neighborhood leader nearly became a victim on the afternoon of 16/4. She received a call informing her that she needed to switch to electronic billing. Because the caller accurately recited information about her household size and water consumption limits, she trusted them and connected on Zalo.
"They instructed me to re-register my bank account and asked me to place my CIC on the phone for backup. Fortunately, my son, a technology engineer, arrived in time and discovered that money was about to be transferred to a hidden personal account, so he prevented it immediately," she recounted.
Dawaco General Director also targeted for 'contract re-signing' scam
Even Ho Minh Nam, General Director of Dawaco, received a similar call, demanding he come to the office at 57 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh to re-sign contracts for his family and relatives.
"To verify, I asked the caller to read out the customer code from their system. They immediately hung up, realizing I was familiar with the process," said Nam.
According to Nam, the increase in scams is due to criminal groups exploiting the period before stricter phone number identification regulations are enforced. Elderly individuals are often the primary targets of these sophisticated schemes. When questioned about their procedures or met with resistance, the impersonators often change their demeanor, use impolite language, and then abruptly disconnect the call.
Dawaco has now implemented official Zalo-based contract signing, synchronizing customer data. Residents are advised not to trust requests to visit the office directly or to provide personal information to strangers. Nam stated that the company has issued warnings on various media outlets, its website, and sent messages to over 300,000 customers. Case files have been forwarded to the police for investigation.
The Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention and Control Department (Da Nang City Police) warns that requests to install unknown applications or provide biometric information over the phone are, in fact, acts of property appropriation. Police advise residents not to provide one-time passwords (OTP) or passwords, nor to follow instructions from unknown numbers related to bank accounts; they should also contact service providers or authorities directly for verification if they have any suspicions.
Nguyen Dong
