Beware of Scams: Fake Vietnam Airlines Running Event Could Cost You

National carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) has issued a warning regarding fake pages impersonating their Run for Love running event.

According to Vietnam Airlines, several fake fanpages have emerged on social media, using the name and image of the Run for Love event to scam people by illegally charging fees. These pages have been illicitly using the airline’s images, logo, and trademarks to promote the Run for Love event organized by Vietnam Airlines (the artistic creations and golden lotus images of Vietnam Airlines have been registered for intellectual property protection).

Vietnam Airlines asserts that they have not created any separate pages for the event on social media, and any accounts or pages claiming to be associated with the run are fraudulent. Therefore, the airline advises users to be vigilant and refrain from engaging in any transactions with these fanpages. Official updates about the event will be communicated solely through Vietnam Airlines’ official fanpage.

“Passengers are advised to be cautious of pages with unclear origins to prevent personal information theft or unintentionally aiding scammers in defrauding other users online,” Vietnam Airlines warned.

This is not the first time running events have been impersonated for profit. Previously, Vietcombank announced that fake fanpages had emerged on social media, impersonating the bank’s organized marathon events to defraud individuals interested in registering.

These fanpages illicitly used Vietcombank’s logo, information, and images from the bank-organized or sponsored runs, along with misleading content, to gain the trust of social media users. The scammers invited people to transfer money for registration.

The scammers may also lure victims into joining groups on messaging apps like Zalo or Telegram and then instruct them to perform “tasks” to earn additional benefits, such as free shipping or food vouchers for the event. 

These tasks often involve purchasing products to boost sales or transferring money to business or personal accounts, with the promise of immediate refunds. Once the scammers have received a substantial amount of money, they block all communication with the victims.

Vietcombank affirmed that they do not organize any running events with participation fees and advised customers and the public to verify information carefully and refrain from following instructions to transfer money to any account without proper verification of the account holder’s identity and the purpose of the transaction.