The Economics Expert: ‘They Exploited My Image to Deceive the Gullible’

Leading economists in Vietnam, including Tran Dinh Thien, Can Van Luc, Nguyen Tri Hieu, and Pham Le Thai, have had their images and identities used without their consent to promote investment schemes and programs on social media.

These fraudulent posts often include a “sponsored” tag, indicating that someone is paying to promote them extensively on Facebook.

The economists have unanimously denied any association with these social media accounts and urged investors and the public to be vigilant to avoid falling prey to such scams.

Dr. Tran Dinh Thien asserted that any information on social media claiming that he is inviting investments in stocks or selling investment courses is false. “They are misusing my image to deceive gullible people and engage in fraudulent activities. Therefore, everyone should be cautious to prevent being scammed,” Dr. Thien warned.

According to Dr. Can Van Luc, programs advertised online that promise high returns with no risk are usually scams. He advised, “Be cautious of promises of large profits, as they often come with high risks or are signs of fraud. Investors need to be especially vigilant and avoid sharing sensitive personal information through untrusted channels.”

Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu stated that he has never organized or taught investment classes promising such high success rates.

“There are organizations and individuals who have impersonated me, using my name, image, and statements to attract and entice people to invest their money. These are fraudulent and deceptive advertisements, and investors should be cautious and refrain from participating in these impersonation schemes to avoid being scammed and losing their money,” said Mr. Hieu.

Expert Pham Le Thai also issued a warning through his personal page, alerting investors to numerous scam advertisements using different nicknames, such as Pham Le Thai, investment, and smartinvest, along with his image to deceive investors.

These fraudulent pages employ tactics such as offering free investment courses, adding people to Zalo or Telegram groups, and providing stock codes to entice people to deposit money into virtual or scam exchanges to steal their funds.

“Be cautious while scrolling through Facebook, as some people have already lost hundreds of millions of dong to these scams. Verify the authenticity of any advertising account before investing or placing your trust in them,” warned Mr. Thai.

Recently, the State Securities Commission of Vietnam also issued a warning, urging people to be cautious when receiving calls from strangers and to refrain from joining applications, forums, or groups on social media platforms that promote stock investments.

Investors entering the stock market should equip themselves with knowledge about stocks and the stock market and obtain information from official channels of regulatory authorities, market operators, and licensed securities companies with consulting and brokerage functions. This will help them avoid being scammed and protect their assets.

If you suspect or encounter individuals impersonating securities or fund management companies and providing false information, or if you come across other fraudulent activities, please report them to the authorities immediately for legal action.