Online Shopping Scams During 11.11 in Vietnam: 8 Tricks and How to Protect Yourself

Just a few days left until 11.11 – one of the biggest sale events of the year on e-commerce platforms in Vietnam. It is also the peak season for online shopping scams: scammers exploit “deal hunting” psychology, high order volumes and shoppers’ haste.

At the launch of the CyberZ project (29/10/2026) in Hanoi, Colonel Ha Van Bac, Deputy Director of the Cybersecurity Department (Ministry of Public Security), warned that even tech-savvy young people can fall for traps, especially when AI is combined with psychological manipulation.

8 common online shopping scams

1. Fake brand websites and fanpages

Scammers set up pages that look identical to genuine shops and run ads offering 50–90% discounts. Domain names are usually off by one character or add words like “sale”, “official” or “vn”.

2. Fake couriers asking for bank transfers

Shoppers receive a “delivery” call and are asked to transfer shipping fees, cash on delivery (COD) fees or payment for goods to a personal account – even though they placed no order, or the real order is already being delivered.

3. “Voucher” and “refund” links containing malware

SMS, Zalo and Messenger messages send links to claim discount codes or refunds for faulty orders. Clicking them can lead to a fake bank login page or install an app that takes over the phone.

4. Fake marketplace staff

Scammers call to report an “order problem” or a “locked account” and ask for an OTP code or ask the victim to follow instructions to “verify”.

5. AI-generated fake livestreams and reviews

Images and voices of celebrities or “customers” are created with AI (deepfake) to promote poor-quality or nonexistent products. Under Vietnam’s Artificial Intelligence Law 2025, AI content that simulates humans must be labeled – a missing label is a suspicious sign.

6. Recruiting collaborators for fake “order closing”

Online job offers promise high commissions and ask for money to “receive tasks” buying goods. Small rewards are paid at first, then large sums are stolen.

7. Paying off-platform for an “extra discount”

Sellers persuade buyers to transfer money directly, bypassing the marketplace’s buyer protection policy.

8. Psychological manipulation: “online kidnapping”

A dangerous trick mentioned at the CyberZ event: victims are threatened, isolated and psychologically controlled online to transfer money. Scammers exploit trust, emotions and fear.

Signs of online shopping scams

• Prices far below the market.
• Time pressure: “only 5 minutes left”, “only 3 spots left”.
• Requests to transfer money to a personal account, or to provide an OTP code.
• Strange domain names, newly created websites, no clear address or business registration number.
• Proactive contact through unofficial channels to “help”.

How to protect yourself from online shopping scams during 11.11

• Only buy through official channels: Mall stores and websites with the brand’s correct domain name.
• Never share OTP codes, passwords or card details with anyone, including people claiming to be bank, marketplace or courier staff.
• Pay on the platform or use COD with goods inspection; avoid paying strangers in advance.
• Type the address directly instead of clicking links in messages.
• Turn on transaction alerts and online spending limits in your banking app.
• Verify before trusting: call the official hotline when you receive a suspicious call.
• Report, do not handle it yourself: as the Cybersecurity Department recommends, pass information to the authorities instead of investigating or confronting the scammers yourself.

Online shop owners also need to watch out for online shopping scams

Not only buyers, owners of sales websites are also targets: brand impersonation, hijacked admin accounts, and malware injected to steal payment information. Some things to do before the sale season:

• Update WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins and PHP to the latest versions – especially after the PHP2Shell vulnerability incident.
• Turn on two-factor authentication for admin, hosting and domain accounts.
• Publish official contact channels and warn customers about fake pages.
• Optimize speed to handle sale traffic: see 7 WooCommerce speed optimization tasks.

Conclusion

Online shopping scams are getting more sophisticated thanks to AI, but most rely on haste and trust. Slow down for a few seconds, verify before paying, and share this article with your loved ones so everyone can shop safely this 11.11 season. If you are a shop owner who needs a website security review before the sale season, contact Gnurt.

Sources: VnExpress, Cybersecurity Department – Ministry of Public Security.