Green captions of reputable symbols become a scam tool
Since 2023, after Meta launched the Meta Verified program - a fee-paying green data license in some countries such as Australia, New Zealand... the trend of green data hunting has exploded globally. In Vietnam, although this service has not been officially deployed, a series of Facebook accounts are still "wearing the green shirt" with unofficial roads.
According to Lao Dong, for only 1 - 4 million VND, users can buy a fanpage service package, "growing" green trees in less than 30 minutes. Service packages often come with monthly maintenance fees, paid via bank transfer or visa card provision. Even users who do not need to meet the conditions are committed to "increase", as long as they are willing to pay.
The reporter plays a user who contacts an account named "V.H.M", being quoted 1.2 million VND for a combo to set up a fanpage and green savings, with a maintenance fee of 180,000 VND/month. The service owner requires providing bank card information and CVV codes to withdraw money periodically - an act that poses a potential risk of financial data leakage.
What is worrying is that hundreds of green-tied fanpages are being abused to impersonate state agencies, educational institutions, large enterprises, and even armed forces.
Recently, many parents have been scammed when registering their children to participate in "2025 Military Summer Camp" on a fake fanpage of the People's Police Academy. This impersonating account not only has blueprints but also posts "very real" information and images, with optimized advertising, making it difficult for viewers to distinguish between real and fake. The fake fanpages have green markings, making people completely trust them.
Not only that, many fanpages also impersonate the Ministry of Finance, the Department of Security (Ministry of Public Security), banks... to instruct people to get back their scammed money on Shopee, Lazada. These pages all have blueprints, causing warnings from authorities not to keep up with the speed of dissemination.
Need to tighten legal corridors
The subjects not only set up fanpages to rent green stocks, but also formed a pre- created "account store" waiting for customers. Some groups set up ghost companies that provide fake information to verify their identities with Facebook. Then, when needed, they would sell the account to someone else.
It is easy to see that green accumulation is no longer a symbol of prestige verification but has been transformed into a "fake shield" for organized fraud. Many victims lost from several million to hundreds of millions of VND when shopping, paying tuition fees, and paying for virtual tasks through fake green-tick fanpages.
Currently, there are no specific legal regulations on handling leasing and trading services for green stocks in cyberspace. The Law on Cyber Security allows authorities to inspect and request explanations for accounts posting false content. However, to be criminally prosecuted, it is necessary to prove the purpose of fraud and property appropriation.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper, lawyer Nguyen Duc Toan - (Vimax Asia Law Firm, Hanoi Bar Association) - said: "For the act of taking advantage of green money to commit fraud, the subjects can be completely handled according to Article 174 of the 2015 Penal Code. However, in reality, the work of detecting and proving is still very difficult due to the anonymousness and cross-border nature of social networking platforms".
Security expert Nguyen Van Thin recommends: User need to carefully check fanpages and accounts with blue checkmarks. Don't just look at "respect symbols" and lose your vigilance. Compare the interactions, see if the posts have overlapping content or unusual comments.
Mr. Thin emphasized: "Absolutely do not transfer the deposit until the recipient is clearly verified. It is best to research through mainstream press, management agencies or high-trusted platforms before making a transaction.
