For a long time, many people have been wary of street vendors and scams. However, recently in Ho Chi Minh City, a new type of scam has emerged: the street installation of internet services.
While sitting outside her home, Mrs. T., residing on Cong Quynh Street, District 1 – Ho Chi Minh City, was approached by a young man in his thirties who asked, “Do you have internet installation promotions?” Knowing that her children had been discussing getting internet but had not yet acted on it, Mrs. T. casually asked, “How much does it cost?” The young man replied, “Only 100,000 VND, it’s an incredible price because the company is running a promotion.” He further manipulated her psychology by stating, “Normally, installing a home internet connection costs over a million VND, but this is a special promotional program, so it’s just 100,000 VND. Once it’s installed, I will show you that you have internet access, and only then will you pay.” Although not very tech-savvy, Mrs. T. agreed since the cost was low and she could verify the connection before paying. After some time fiddling, the young man announced that the installation was complete and suggested she check. Indeed, there was internet access, so Mrs. T. paid and thanked him. However, after the man left, out of curiosity, she checked online and found nothing. When her son came home and she recounted the story, they quickly realized they had been scammed…
Similarly, there was the case of Ms. M. from Binh Hung Commune, Binh Chanh District – Ho Chi Minh City. Knowing her child needed internet access but the area had no cable service for a long time, she resigned herself to the situation. Thus, when a young man lured her with a cheap internet installation offer, she was skeptical. However, when the young man assured her that payment would only be collected once the homeowner could access the internet and was satisfied, she was swayed. It was only after he left, and her child returned from school and checked, that the family realized they had been deceived.
According to Mr. Phan Phuc Tai, a technician at Netcom, executing such scams is not difficult. As long as the installation address has an existing telephone line, one can dial up using fairly simple operations on the VN1260-1269 network. Alternatively, the scammers could simply use a cheap Chinese modem directly connected to a computer to provide internet access; however, once they remove the modem, the internet connection ceases. In simpler terms, they could also install a pre-existing webpage on a disk that, when opened, would appear to provide internet access, but once the disk is removed, there would be no connection at all.
Currently, there are many internet service providers in the market, including SPT, FPT, VDC, Viettel, and EVN Telecom. To install internet services, customers must go to the service provider’s transaction points and complete the contract signing process. However, every day people still fall victim to the street internet installation scam because they mistakenly believe that setting up internet service is as simple as installing a regular TV antenna. It is best to firmly decline any street installation offers or sales if you are not knowledgeable about internet services.
