Buzz
Speaking excessively may be redundant, but reminding everyone to be cautious is never redundant. It's nearing the end of the year, and the trend of robberies and scams is quite prevalent, especially in large urban areas. In the past month alone, there have been at least 5 robbery cases around me, such as the iPhone theft incident that occurred right in the alley of Mytour café on the evening of November 4th.According to the People's Police newspaper, the end of the year is a hot spot for criminal activities because the wrongdoers need more money for spending and paying off gambling debts, among other vices. Just last night, while having dinner, I witnessed firsthand a phone snatching incident on Hai Thuong Lan Ong Street, District 5, right near a few decoration shops. The thief was alone and acted swiftly. By the time the victim realized their phone had been snatched from their hand, the thief had already run quite a distance away. Of course, chasing after these guys only ended in frustration.Our family runs a dormitory business, and every year, thieves break the gate lock, steal motorcycles while everyone is asleep, sometimes even taking 2 or 3 at a time. We end up compensating the victims each time. These criminals even cover the cameras (which are placed in a somewhat hidden corner, indicating they've done their research) to avoid being identified and to facilitate their actions. One year, my mother was a bit careless, and they managed to steal her PCX scooter in a blink, it took them only 30 seconds according to the camera footage.Apart from proactive robberies with weapons, there are also numerous instances of fraud. I've previously written a warning about online scams. These scams typically follow these patterns:- Pretending to be a foreigner interested in buying items: They inquire about purchasing something we have listed for sale, and if we take the bait, we easily fall into their pre-prepared scenarios like transferring money to a 'foreign bank,' logging into a fake bank website, thus exposing our passwords, etc.
- Pretending to be a judicial authority: These individuals pose as a court or a bank's debt collection unit. Exploiting the fears of the gullible, especially the elderly, students, and teenagers, they easily extract personal information and, worse, seize assets. Stay vigilant.
- Using COD (Cash on Delivery) to deceive for money: This tactic seems simple enough – creating COD orders to be delivered to our address. If no one at home is aware, they might accept the delivery, pay the amount, and then we're unfairly implicated. Of course, these orders almost never offer returns or refunds. While each COD order may amount to a few hundred thousand, imagine if they deceive hundreds of people in a day, the impact would be significant.
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If by any chance you fall victim to a robbery, I advise against pursuing to retrieve your belongings. Essentially, it only adds more risk to our situation. The thieves' vehicles are often modified and can easily outpace ours, not to mention they drive recklessly. Even if you manage to catch up and they happen to be armed, it could escalate into a worse scenario. Let's consider it a loss and prioritize safety instead.
Wishing everyone a safe end to the year, where we can protect ourselves and our loved ones.
