AI-powered scams pose growing threat to Vietnamese exporters

According to Associate Professor Greeni Maheshwari, from RMIT Vietnam’s management program, fraudsters are increasingly utilizing AI-generated emails, fabricated corporate identities, and even fake voice and video recordings of company executives to enhance trust and manipulate business partners.

Popular scamming methods

Accordingly, recent cases worldwide show how rapidly fraud tactics are evolving.

In the UAE, scammers have impersonated legitimate companies by using genuine business licenses and physical addresses, then redirected payments to fraudulent bank accounts or fake escrow platforms before disappearing with the funds.

Another ruthless tactic, known as the ‘deliver-and-rot-at-port’ scheme, involves delaying customs clearance and leaving perishable goods to rot, resulting in huge financial losses for exporters.

Many Vietnamese exporters have also fallen victim to similar tactics.

In 2025, a Vietnamese pepper exporter reportedly suffered a loss of US$600,000 after a buyer used multiple intermediary entities to establish credibility, then delayed payments and provided fake remittance documents to prolong negotiations and pressure the exporter to accept lower prices.

According to Maheshwari, digitalization has made fraud faster, easier to scale, and significantly harder to detect.

Vietnamese corporations, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), remain vulnerable because they rely heavily on communications through email, electronic documents, and remote transactions.

This creates opportunities for AI-generated phishing emails, domain spoofing, and the compromise of business communication channels.

“Fraudsters can now replicate supplier identities almost perfectly, reducing many of the traditional warning signs businesses once relied on,” she said.

Watch out for early warning signs

Maheshwari said Vietnamese businesses must move beyond traditional risk management approaches to address fraud increasingly enabled by digital technologies.

“Today’s scams are increasingly AI-enabled and data-driven," she said.

“Fraudsters use fake digital identities, cloned websites, and leaked information to create highly convincing scenarios, meaning basic verification is no longer enough.” 

She advised companies to watch for early warning signs such as unverifiable buyer profiles, unusual negotiation behavior, excessive urgency, suspicious payment requests, and inconsistencies in documentation.

She also emphasized the role of regulators in protecting businesses from emerging forms of fraud.

Authorities should strengthen awareness programs, improve legal frameworks governing cross-border trade, and enhance international cooperation in dispute resolution.

Besides, building verified business partner databases, enhancing digital verification standards and information-sharing mechanisms could also help reduce risks, she added.

Authorities can also utilize AI to spot unusual transactions, fraudulent documents, and develop early-warning systems for fraud.